The NBA Preseason continued on Wednesday, October 7, with five games taking place. The Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Miami Heat triumphed over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Brooklyn Nets secured a victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, and the New York Knicks lost to the Washington Wizards. Additionally, the Atlanta Hawks bested the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame the Sacramento Kings.
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On this sixth night of action, several rookies stood out, including two second-round picks and an undrafted free agent from the 2026 draft class. While preseason performances do not guarantee success in the regular season, witnessing young players excel early in their careers is promising.
Looking ahead, two more preseason games are scheduled for Friday, October 9, featuring the Chicago Bulls against the Memphis Grizzlies, following Houston's previous win over Dallas, which saw top-10 pick Morez Johnson Jr. make his debut. Johnson was joined by fellow Mavericks' draft picks Sergio de Larrea and Tobi Lawal, both of whom had commendable performances. The Houston Rockets' rookie guard Bruce Thornton, selected as the first pick of the second round in the 2026 NBA Draft, also made a strong first impression.
Here are the top five rookie performances from the sixth night of preseason action:
Tre Donaldson of the Miami Heat, an undrafted two-way signee, contributed 12 points, two assists, one rebound, and one turnover, making 5-of-8 shots from the field and 2-of-3 from three-point range against New Orleans.
AJ Dybantsa, the top pick in the 2026 draft from the Washington Wizards, scored 11 points along with two rebounds, two assists, and four steals, shooting 5-of-11 overall, though he struggled with his long-range shooting, finishing 0-of-3 from three and 1-of-3 from the free throw line.
Kingston Flemings, the No. 8 pick for the Atlanta Hawks, led his team with 15 points, accompanied by five assists, three rebounds, one turnover, and three steals. He shot 6-of-8 from the field, 2-of-4 from the three-point line, and 1-of-2 from the free throw line in a win against San Antonio.
Dillon Mitchell, picked 40th overall by the Boston Celtics, recorded 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two turnovers, and two steals, shooting 4-of-7 from the field, though he did not make his only attempt from three and made 2-of-4 free throws against Cleveland.
Jaron Pierre Jr. of the New Orleans Pelicans, the No. 58 pick, scored 12 points, grabbed one rebound, had two turnovers, and one block, shooting 4-of-6 from deep in his game against Miami.