NBA opening night takeaways: Victor Wembanyama upstaged by fellow rookie; Scoot Henderson lays a debut dud

Although the NBA technically opened its 2023-24 marketing campaign with a doubleheader on Tuesday, the league’s 12-game slate a night later were given the season underway for lots of the league. 

Victor Wembanyama’s debut used to be the headliner Wednesday night, however there used to be quite a lot of motion to move round together with a masterful efficiency by Shai Gilegous-Alexander in Chicago, a rocky get started for Trae Young and the Hawks, a dud debut for Scoot Henderson and the extremely expected go back of Zion Williamson, who gave us a rim-rocking series of dunks on consecutive possessions in New Orleans’ win over Memphis. 

Here are the key takeaways from the night.

Wemby upstaged by fellow rookie

You’re now not going to listen to that sentence very regularly this season, however it used to be true on opening night as Dallas rookie and No. 12 total draft pick out Dereck Lively II, who used to be completely superior, posted 16 issues and 10 forums in opposition to Victor Wembanyama’s 15 issues and 5 rebounds as Dallas closed out San Antonio overdue. 

Lively used to be actually traditionally excellent:

Here’s the face to face:

Here’s Lively rolling with Luka Doncic for the slam:

Here he’s with a monster put-back dunk:

Wembanyama, in the meantime, used to be in foul bother lots of the 2d part. With six mins closing, he had tallied simply six issues and 5 fouls. But he confirmed out overdue, carding 9 spectacular issues over the sport’s ultimate stretch, beginning with this pull-up 3-pointer once he were given again within the sport:

And this face-up jumper seemed sure Tim Duncan-esque:

Scoot off to gradual get started

Scoot Henderson’s NBA debut used to be a dud. He went scoreless within the first part, and he completed with simply 9 issues on 5-of-11 taking pictures. Until overdue within the sport he had simply two issues. His ultimate 5 photographs and 7 issues had been in rubbish time. 

SGA in early MVP shape

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander placed on a sanatorium in OKC’s win over Chicago on Wednesday, posting 31 issues and 10 assists in opposition to only one turnover. You watch: He’s going to be within the MVP dialog all season.

SGA’s offensive bag is stuffed with nasty strikes, however his skill to immediately slow down from complete pace is on the most sensible the checklist. Given SGA’s danger to get the entire technique to the rim as arguably the most productive driving force within the league, that is unimaginable to shield when he simply hits the brakes:

And his step-back 3s are flat-out filthy. 

Zion’s thunderous series

Zion did not play particularly smartly in New Orleans’ win over Memphis (he used to be in point of fact forcing his technique to the rim early on with none finesse to be discovered, and used to be working into a wall), however he nonetheless wound up with 23 issues on 9-of-17 taking pictures together with those two monster dunks on consecutive possessions. 

Strus will get free for Cavs

The Cavaliers aimed to fill their taking pictures hollow on the small-forward spot by signing Max Strus this summer season, and early returns glance nice. Strus hit seven 3-pointers (a Cavs debut file) en path to 27 issues because the Cavs edged the Nets, 114-113, of their opener. 

Porzingis makes Celtics historical past

With 30 issues in a season-opening win over the Knicks on Wednesday, Kristaps Porzingis now owns the Boston Celtics’ franchise file for the highest-scoring output in a workforce debut, per ESPN Stats. 

Porzingis, who additionally changed into the primary participant in Celtics historical past to make 5 3-pointers and file 4 blocks in his workforce debut, used to be superb on each ends of the ground. 

Even past his 4 blocked photographs, his rim coverage used to be a giant issue all night (the Knicks had been 3 for 18 within the paint within the first quarter), and he scored from each and every house of the courtroom. 

He rolled to the rim. He were given to the free-throw line 10 occasions, making 9. He popped for jumpers, hitting the aforementioned 5 3-pointers, together with this bomb in a tie sport with a minute and a part to play. 

Trae Young lays an egg

We clearly can not learn an excessive amount of into one sport, however the Hawks nonetheless seem like a workforce swimming upstream. They misplaced to the Hornets of their opener, and Trae Young used to be horrible, completing 4 of nineteen from the ground and 1 for 9 from 3, or even the only make used to be a meaningless prayer as soon as the sport used to be all however over. 

Young nonetheless submit 23 issues by attending to the free-throw line 15 occasions, however he could not get anything else going. He nonetheless seems to be beautiful unnecessary off ball and he is without a doubt nonetheless unnecessary defensively. It did not assist issues that Young’s backcourt mate, Dejounte Murray, used to be 3 for 14 for 11 issues. 

Contrary to his popularity, Young has been a below-average 3-point shooter all the way through his profession. He’s an elite playmaker with a deadly floater and he will get into the paint nearly at will, however the taking pictures isn’t as regards to what it is cracked as much as be. So a ways, that is nonetheless protecting true. 

Setting the Pace

The Indiana Pacers hung 143 issues of their win over the Wizards, which works down as probably the most issues scored in a season opener, by any workforce, since 1990, per ESPN Stats, and the fifth-most all-time. 

Newcomer Bruce Brown knocked down a career-high six 3-pointers en path to a team-high 24 issues, and Tyrese Haliburton picked up proper the place he left off remaining season, when he used to be the one participant within the league to common double-digit issues and assists on 40% 3-point taking pictures, with 20 issues and 11 assists. 

Minnesota took a difficult opening-night L in opposition to the Raptors with Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns jacking up a overall of 52 photographs, which they transformed at simply a 30% clip. 

If you might be searching for a silver lining, it used to be the primary time that Towns, Edwards and Rudy Gobert all recorded double-doubles in the similar sport, however Minnesota’s 34% taking pictures clip as a workforce used to be its lowest quantity within the remaining 5 years. 

Cam Thomas used to be cooking

Thomas scored 36 issues in Brooklyn’s slender loss to the Cavaliers — the best possible season-opener overall by a bench participant in NBA historical past. Thomas is a rollercoaster. He’s by no means noticed a shot he does not like. But he will get it going every now and then, and Wednesday used to be a type of nights. Buddy used to be cooking. 

Harrison Barnes loves openers

Two years in the past, Barnes scored 36 issues in Sacramento’s season-opening win over the Blazers, which wound up being his season excessive. On Wednesday, Barnes submit 33 within the Kings’ season-opening win in opposition to Utah, which might really well finally end up being his season-high once more this 12 months. 

Barnes has crested the 30-point mark simply 22 occasions over 11 NBA seasons. Do the mathematics, and that’s the reason two in step with 12 months on common. It does not occur regularly.