NBA Insiders Oct 27, 2023, 8:00am ET9 minutes read
Damian Lillard shines in his Bucks debut with 39 points
Damian Lillard is off to a winning start with the Bucks after scoring a game-high 39 points in a win over the 76ers.
The NBA is back in action! Less than a week into the season, things are looking good for the defending champions Denver Nuggets after defeating LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the season opener.
No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama made his expected debut for the San Antonio Spurs with a strong performance in a loss to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, but the 7-foot-4 phenom wasn’t the only rookie, who stood out in his NBA debuts this season.
Who else looked good? Kristaps Porzingis made history in his Celtics debut against his former team, the New York Knicks, while Russell Westbrook had some great moments for the LA Clippers.
Who needs work anyway? The Chicago Bulls touched a strange nerve by calling a players-only meeting after just one game, and the Houston Rockets have a lot of questions to answer after their opening loss.
What stands out so far in 2023-24? Our NBA insiders break down the best and worst of the first three days of the season.
Fill in the blank: Giannis Dame debut was _____.
Andrew Lopez: Fun. The pick-and-roll between these two was fun to watch all night and will continue to be that way all season as they continue to try to figure out each other’s plays. Plus, the Bucks now have one of the best closers in the game. This will take a huge weight off Giannis Antetokounmpo’s shoulders for the rest of the year.
Tim MacMahon: A reminder that Lillard is on the short list of the best attacking and finishing players in the league. Milwaukee needed all 39 of Lillard’s points – including 14 in the final four minutes – with Antetokounmpo having a mediocre performance by MVP standards and Khris Middleton being limited to 16 minutes.
Bobby Marks: Dangerous. No offense for Antetokounmpo, but the Milwaukee Bucks now have a closer lead with Lillard. In the fourth quarter, Lillard was spectacular, scoring 14 points in the final four minutes, including three go-ahead points (yes, the officials missed a turnover by Antetokounmpo) with 3:34 left. Given Antetokounmpo’s dominance on the team, one can expect Lillard to pick apart the opposing team’s defense.
Kevin Pelton: Largely unprecedented. As I noticedThat the Bucks outscored 13 points in Antetokounmpo’s minutes was his second-worst plus-minus in a Milwaukee win since his rise to stardom in the 2018-19 season. That was only possible because the Bucks had a huge advantage with Antetokounmpo on the bench thanks to Lillard’s presence.
Ohm Youngmisuk: Scary to look at. This is exactly what Milwaukee had in mind with this trade. Antetokounmpo does all the MVP-like things he does, with Lillard spacing the floor and taking over routes, especially at the end of the game. Giannis and Dame will only get better. Can the Bucks defend enough on the perimeter to win a title?
Which game or moment was the most shocking so far?
MacMahon: The Bulls may have broken the record for the first all-player meeting in major professional sports history. It’s not exactly shocking that the surging Thunder took out the purgatory Bulls, but it’s more alarming that the frustration in Chicago is already so high.
Markings: The Bulls’ loss to Oklahoma City was no surprise. It was purely a players’ meeting. After donating $215 million to Zach LaVine last season and another $140 million to Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Jevon Carter, the Bulls continue to invest in a roster that made the play-in last season. lost game. Will the Bulls look to make changes if the losing and uninspired play continues? All-Star DeMar DeRozan is eligible for an extension and will become an unrestricted free agent if there is no deal.
Youngmisuk: Not as shocking as the Bulls, but it was a little surprising that Charlotte opened the season with a win over Atlanta, where the Hornets held the Hawks’ backcourt to a combined 7-for-33. Charlotte’s offseason has been turbulent – Kai Jones was fired after bizarre behavior on social media, while Miles Bridges, who pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge in November, is suspended until after the team’s 10th game of the season.
Pelton: Orlando beats Houston. We expected the Rockets to be more competitive after adding starters Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, and unlike other high-profile openers, it didn’t come with shooting luck: The Magic went 9 of 34 (26.5%) from 3 , but dominated everywhere else.
Lopez: Maybe not the result itself, but it was shocking to see the Timberwolves lose their 19th straight game at Scotiabank Arena on opening night against the Toronto Raptors. Minnesota’s last win in Toronto was in 2004 (though they beat the Raptors in a home game in Tampa in 2021). It wasn’t an efficient night for either Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Edwards – the two combined for 45 points on 52 shots.
Lopez: Dereck Lively II I don’t think it will be too long before the Dallas Mavericks’ rookie center finds himself in Jason Kidd’s starting group. The No. 12 pick started the second half for Dallas and finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds on 7 of 8 shooting in 30 minutes. The last time a player scored 15 points, 10 rebounds and over 80% in his debut was in 1963. Lively appears to be the perfect screen partner and lob threat for Luka Doncic.
Youngmisuk: Lively: We may have witnessed the birth of “Baby Tyson,” a Mavericks source said. Lively certainly looked like former Mavs center Tyson Chandler with 16 points, 10 rebounds, a block and a steal. He crashed the boards for five offensive rebounds.
MacMahon: Cason Wallace. The Thunder guard scored 13 points on 5 of 5 shooting in 19 minutes in Oklahoma City’s win at Chicago, a highly encouraging debut for the 10th overall pick who came into the league with questions about his jumper. Wallace will be a defensive pest. If he continues to knock down shots, he will be a tremendous asset to the Thunder’s outstanding young core.
Markings: Brandon Miller. The 13-point stat against Atlanta won’t impress you, but Miller’s debut confirmed why the Hornets selected him with the second pick in June’s draft. In a three-minute span late in the fourth quarter, Miller hit a step back 3, a reverse layup and another 3. Each of those shots either tied the game or gave the Hornets the lead.
Pelton: Müller. Miller played relatively unknown in Charlotte and scored a solid 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting off the bench in his debut. Since he has less responsibility than the player the Hornets acquired, Scoot Henderson, Miller should have an easier transition to the NBA.
Stephen A’s only concern for Victor Wembanyama
Stephen A. Smith is full of praise for Victor Wembanyama, but he’s worried about Wemby’s physicality in the NBA.
According to a very early eye test, who has made the biggest jump since last season?
Lopez: Bruce Brown Jr. After helping the Nuggets to a championship last season, Brown received a two-year, $45 million contract – with a team option for next year – from the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers may want to pursue this option immediately if Brown plays like he did against the Washington Wizards. Brown finished the game with 24 points and made six 3-pointers, the most of his career.
MacMahon: Max Strus. Strus had just signed a four-year, $63 million contract with the Cavaliers and couldn’t have looked more relaxed in his debut in Cleveland. He, along with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, filled a glaring need for filming. And the Cavs gave Strus the green light: He was 7 of 13 from deep in a win over the Brooklyn Nets with 27 points and 12 rebounds.
Markings: Cole Anthony. The Magic guard, who just signed a three-year, $39 million rookie extension, became just the third player in franchise history to score more than 20 points off the bench in a season opener. He joined Terry Catledge in 1990 and JJ Redick in 2012. Playing 24 minutes in front of struggling starter Jalen Suggs, Anthony scored an efficient 20 points on 8 of 12 from the field while also grabbing 8 rebounds.
Pelton: Jalen Johnson didn’t start in Atlanta’s opener, but played 29 minutes off the bench and scored 21 points, picking up where he left off in the preseason. When John Collins transferred to Utah this summer, an opportunity opened up for Johnson. So far he’s making the best of it.
Youngmisuk: Like opening night last year, Russell Westbrook had a double-double. But Westbrook appears to be a completely different player this year. He’s noticeably happier, more comfortable and produced moments of classic Russ on Wednesday. He provided the Clippers’ highlight at the start of the game against Portland, throwing down several thunderous dunks. Westbrook’s performance this season could be huge for the Clippers.
What question would you like to have answered after the first few days of the season?
Pelton: Will Chris Paul move to the bench once Draymond Green returns from his ankle injury? Paul had nine assists with just one turnover in his Warriors debut, but missed all six 3-point attempts in Golden State’s 108-104 loss to Phoenix. Green will miss at least one more game (Friday at Sacramento), but his return could result in Paul coming off the bench for the first time in his 19-year career.
Lopez: Can New Orleans use more 3-point shots? Pelicans coach Willie Green has asked his team to shoot more three-pointers, and there was only a slight jump in Game 1, when the team shot 14 of 32 from distance (43.2%). The Pelicans ranked 29th in 3-point attempts per game last season (30.1), with more than half of the attempts coming from two players: CJ McCollum and two-way forward Matt Ryan.
Markings: What is the status of reconstruction in Houston? After winning 20 games last season, the Rockets spent more than $200 million on Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green and Jock Landale. The result? The second-biggest season-opening loss in franchise history for the Magic. The 30-point loss trailed only the 33-point loss to the Seattle SuperSonics in 1982.
Youngmisuk: Will Anthony Davis prevail and dominate? After scoring 17 points in Tuesday’s opening loss but going scoreless in the second half and going 0-for-6 against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, Davis responded with Thursday’s victory over the Phoenix Suns (30 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals) and scored 13 points in the fourth game. However, LeBron James took over on the decisive point of the fourth quarter against the Suns, and the Lakers can’t rely on the 38-year-old every night. The Lakers’ title hopes rest on Davis’ shoulders, and they can’t let up. Davis will need to consistently dominate, especially with James’ playing time below guidelines this season.
MacMahon: We got an answer to one of the biggest questions: Who would be the odd man out in Boston’s starting lineup? Bringing Al Horford off the bench is the right answer for the Celtics, who can celebrate the 16-year veteran’s sacrifice, manage his minutes and utilize their top five players.