As the 2024-25 NBA season draws nearer, the league has finalized the preseason schedule for each team.

The NBA released the full slate of games on Tuesday, with the preseason set to begin on Oct. 4 and conclude on Oct. 18:

The preseason will give players their first chance to test themselves against their impending opponents, but the results can be deceiving. For example, the Toronto Raptors were the only Eastern Conference team to go undefeated during the 2023 preseason, but they finished the year with a 25-57 record and fell short of the playoffs for the second straight year.

Sometimes the preseason can help establish the teams poised to compete for an NBA championship. The Minnesota Timberwolves looked dominant and went 5-0 during the preseason before finishing third in the Western Conference with a 56-26 record, their first time with over 55 wins since the 2003-04 campaign.

The preseason will also provide fans with a deeper look at the rookies who are hoping to seize the mantle as future superstars.

2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks played just two games in Summer League and averaged 14.5 points, so he will have the chance to put forth a better showing as the team prepares for the regular season. Reed Sheppard of the Houston Rockets and Rob Dillingham of the Minnesota Timberwolves impressed during Summer League and will look to carry that momentum over to the preseason.

Fans will certainly be excited for the return of basketball, as the beginning of the preseason marks a big step in the buildup to the start of the regular season on Oct. 22.