NBA Pre-Season Takeaways: Luka Doncic hype; Lakers are not great

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Head coach Tyronn Lue (L) of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers after a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Head coach Tyronn Lue (L) of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers after a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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As the NBA Pre-Season gets underway, we breakdown the five biggest observations from the start of the 2018-19 exhibition season

The NBA is finally back and even if it is only pre-season, fans are starting to get their basketball fix. Pre-season observations are usually something that should be taken with a grain of salt but there is some significance to the five game slate each team plays.

We will get a glimpse of how new faces fit in with their new teams while also seeing how a team’s play style could change under a new regime. With that said here are some early observations after the first few days of the 2018 NBA preseason.

The Hornets will be fun to watch

So far the Charlotte Hornets have played the Boston Celtics twice this pre-season and if those two games are any indication, the Hornets will be much more enjoyable this season to watch. New head coach James Borrego has added a much needed increase in pace and is experimenting with new lineups and positions.

He’s put Nic Batum back at his natural small forward position and he’s been running with Jeremy Lamb as the teams starting shooting guard. That’s given the Hornets more space to operate in and work with.

The question will continue to be are the Hornets going to be better this season and we won’t know until the regular season gets here but at the very least we know they should look much improved on offense. If Charlotte can keep Cody Zeller healthy then the Hornets could have a vastly improved offense compared to last season when Charlotte finished 13th in the NBA.