After a long, arduous offseason fraught with draft after draft and roster fixation with dreams of fantasy glory, we finally have real NBA games. The stats count, the anguish is real, and the journey into the virtual unknown has commenced. Through two nights of games, here are some things that stood out to me.
Mike Conley
Back in early October, there was an SI article in which Chris Finch intimated that Conley would not play as many minutes or games this season. With Conley being 37 years old and Minnesota having playoff aspirations, it makes sense. But 20 minutes? That’s how much he played in the opener. Last season, Conley played 76 games and averaged 28.9 minutes. I was thinking maybe a few minutes less, like 25, but 20 is rough. Now, Conley didn’t shoot well while Nickeil Alexander-Walker had it going, so Conley only played 3 minutes in the fourth quarter while NAW played 11. To make matters worse, Conley only dished out two dimes. I think Conley averages closer to 25 minutes a game, but expectations, if you had any, need to be lowered.
Donte DiVincenzo
DiVincenzo didn’t start, and he shot poorly — 3-of-11 from the field and 2-of-8 from downtown — but I’m not worried. He’s a career 37 percent shooter from downtown and converted 40 percent and 39 percent, respectively, in the prior two seasons. The main thing is that he played 32 minutes and racked up two steals. His shooting is too valuable for this team, and he should continue getting starter’s minutes.
Rui Hachimura
He started, played 35 minutes and looked fantastic. He’s always been known as a scorer, but he racked up two blocks and a steal. Shoutout to my colleague Eric Wong, who texted me late in the draft season asking, “Why isn’t anyone scooping up Rui? He’s learning from LeBron!” Reason number 982,249,782,441 why Eric is the GOAT. You should be reading and meditating on all his work.
Lakers Shooting Treys
Los Angeles was 28th in the league last season with 31.4 treys per game. JJ Redick was chirping all offseason that he wanted the Lakers to hoist more from beyond the arc. They attempted 30 treys in the opener. It’s a one-game sample but something to monitor.
Timberwolves Floor Spacing
Anthony Edwards shot 10-of-25 on Tuesday, with 13 of those shots from downtown. There were multiple possessions wherein Anthony Davis left Julius Randle in the corner to make his presence known in the paint, which may have deterred Edwards from even driving into the paint. Randle is a career 33 percent shooter from downtown and went 1-of-3 on Tuesday. His inability to space the floor like Karl-Anthony Towns could have an adverse effect on Edwards. That said, it’s only one game, and Anthony Davis is a freak, so it’s not the end of the world… at least not yet.
Cam Thomas
We knew Thomas is a professional getter of buckets. That’s why we drafted him, but we expected a hit to the field goal percentage category and nothing in the defensive categories. Well, Thomas went 14-of-27 from the field, 7-of-13 from downtown and racked up three steals. He won’t be this efficient every night, but he may not be as bad as we thought. Let’s not forget that this is only his second season as “The Guy.”
Jalen Wilson
Much of the hype over draft season was centered on Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney, and for good reason — he showed that he could space the floor and rack up blocks last season. Clowney did play 15 minutes off the bench on Wednesday, but the headliner was Wilson, who played 34 minutes off the bench and produced 16 points, four rebounds and an assist. Wilson balled out in Summer League and earned MVP honors. We know that the Nets have initiated Operation Tank and will be playing all their young guys at some point. Wilson may have already arrived.
Onyeka Okongwu
Eric and another highly-skilled manager in NFBKC leagues were selecting Okongwu aggressively in early drafts. Then word came that he still wasn’t completely healthy, which quieted the hype. Well, he played 28 minutes off the bench in the opener, contributing 28 points, eight rebounds, an assist and three blocks. Yeah, just listen to that Eric guy. He’s kind of good at this game.
Dyson Daniels
I thought Bogdan Bogdanovic would start alongside Trae Young due to his shooting and comfortability in that role. Instead, it was Daniels who got the starting nod, playing 35 minutes and contributing 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, five steals, one block and two treys. Scoop him up if he’s available.
Paolo Banchero
The big bugaboos in the past for Banchero were the poor shooting efficiency and lack of defensive stats. Well, he shot 12-of-24 from the field and 5-of-6 from downtown on Wednesday. He also contributed a block and a steal. This is Banchero’s third year, and there’s a very good chance that he’s leveling up.
Jalen Suggs/Anthony Black
Suggs only played 13 minutes in the Magic opener, while Black received 28 minutes. Before you channel your inner Chicken Little and start screaming that the sky is falling, Suggs had some foul trouble, and the Magic blew out the Heat, which allowed Black to see an increased run.
Guerschon Yabusele
He played 26 minutes off the bench for the 76ers and contributed 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and one trey. Yabusele saw a significant run because Joel Embiid was out. That said, even when Embiid plays, Yabusele will still see playing time. He will likely back up at power forward as well. You’ll never guess who I saw drafting Yabusele late in drafts. Yep, that Eric guy.
Caleb Martin
KJ Martin got the start for Philly while Caleb Martin came off the bench, but it was Caleb who received 37 minutes to KJ’s 15. Caleb contributed 12 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a block. He’s not sexy, but he’s viable, especially if he’s going to play that many minutes. Don’t forget that both Embiid and Paul George were out in this one.
Tyrese Maxey
Last season, with Embiid off the floor, Maxey saw a 7 percent increase in usage rate. In the opener, with both Embiid and Paul George out, Maxey hoisted 31 shots!
Dean Wade
With Max Strus out for an extended period of time, it was Wade who got the starting nod for Cleveland. He played 20 minutes and contributed five points, eight rebounds, an assist, two steals and a trey. The Cavs won by 30 points, so no starter played 30 minutes.
Evan Mobley
All the chatter in the offseason centered on the 7-foot unicorn becoming more of an offensive force. His 14 shot attempts tied Donovan Mitchell for the team lead. He drained nine of them, finishing with 25 points. He also stuffed the stat sheet with nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks. Oh, he also added a trey. I was far too low on Mobley entering the season. Shame… Shame… Shame.
Immanuel Quickley
Quickley suffered a hip injury after going for a rebound and landing on another player’s back. If Quickley is out for an extended period, I think Davion Mitchell will enter the starting lineup with offseason darling Jamal Shead backing him up. Both are smaller guards, but they’re rugged on the defensive end.
Brandon Miller
Miller only played 11 minutes due to hip soreness. There’s been no mention of how the injury occurred or its severity. If he’s out for an extended period, maybe Grant Williams can enter the starting lineup. Williams played 25 minutes off the bench and finished with eight points, four rebounds, an assist, a steal, a block and two treys. Anyone playing alongside LaMelo Ball for over 30 minutes is fantasy relevant. Speaking of…
LaMelo Ball
Holy moly! Thirty-four points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, a steal, a block and four treys while shooting 10-of-20 from the field and 10-of-10 from the line. Shoutout to you, Lavar!!!
Tre Mann
I’ve always been a “Mann Fan” — I should trademark that! He has a deep handle package with a bevy of moves to get his shot up against anyone. Unfortunately, he was buried in OKC. When he arrived in Charlotte last season, Mann averaged 31 minutes and showed some positives, averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.4 treys. With LaMelo back in the fray, I thought Mann would be an afterthought this season. Well, he played 29 minutes off the bench, delivering 24 points, six rebounds, an assist and a block in a game in which the Hornets defeated the Rockets 110-105. Let’s go!
Alperen Sengun
The “Turkish Jokic” put up 25 points, 18 rebounds, five assists, four steals, a block and two treys in 34 minutes. Granted, the Hornets have been one of the softest matchups for centers in recent history, but still. Eric and I were discussing Sengun and Bam Adebayo. I love Sengun and have him on a 30-team dynasty team, but I thought Bam would be slightly better this season.
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Dejounte Murray
After Wednesday’s game, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Murray may have fractured his left hand. There’s been no mention of how the injury occurred or the next course of action. If he’s out for an extended period of time, then C.J. McCollum will likely slide back to the point guard position, boosting his value, while Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson will see upticks in usage rate.
Yves Missi
The Pelicans center situation was the most confounding during draft season. We at least now have some clarity, although let’s not forget it’s only one game. That said, Daniel Theis, “Theis Baby,” got the start but played 19 minutes. It was Missi who received 23 minutes, and he contributed 12 points, seven rebounds, an assist, a steal and three blocks. Missi was drafted in the first round due to his crazy athleticism. He was raw, though, so it’s good to see him thrust into the den right away and making an impact.
Zach Edey
He fouled out in 15 minutes and shot 1-of-5 from the line. Welcome to the NBA. I’m not too concerned right now, as it’s one game, and there will be an adjustment period. I will start to worry if his playing time decreases. With Edey in foul trouble, Jay Huff benefitted, playing 22 minutes off the bench and contributing 13 points, five rebounds, an assist, two blocks and three treys. I’ve always liked Huff because he’s very athletic and can space the floor. He had some Statue of Liberty dunks in Summer League. He also hustles and hits the open shot.
Santi Aldama
Aldama got the start and played 31 minutes, finishing with 27 points, five rebounds, two assists and five treys. Aldama is 6-foot-11, 224 pounds and can obviously space the floor, making him a matchup nightmare.
Walker Kessler
Kessler started and played 30 minutes, producing 16 points, 14 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and five blocks. It’s been quite the roller-coaster ride for Kessler, who was great in his rookie season but disappointed last year. It’s encouraging that Will Hardy now has faith in him.
Taylor Hendricks
Hendricks started and played 29 minutes, putting up 12 points, five rebounds, two steals and one block. John Collins only played 18 minutes off the bench.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
My pea brain keeps thinking that THJ has been brutal over the past few years, but then I look at the stats, and he’s been pretty consistent, averaging 14 to 15 points for six straight years. Yeah, the shooting efficiency has bounced around, and from game to game, it’s been unpredictable, but he got the start with the Pistons on Wednesday, played 29 minutes, and went 4-of-7 from downtown. Malik Beasley was the one to come off the bench. He played 28 minutes, going 2-of-6 from downtown.
Trayce Jackson-Davis
TJD started at center and played 25 minutes, going for 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal. The Warriors won by 35 points, so no starter played more than 25 minutes. It’s a good sign for his prospects that he played so much. If he gets over 30 minutes of run a night… Oh, baby!
Scoot Henderson
Henderson came off the bench and played 28 minutes. He went for 22 points, four rebounds and four assists but shot 0-of-5 from downtown. Portland went with a starting lineup of Anfernee Simons, Deni Avdija, Jerami Grant, Toumani Camara and Deandre Ayton. Rookie Donovan Clingan played 13 minutes off the bench. The Warriors are the absolute worst matchup for Clingan, so let’s see how the rotation looks against a different team. That said, I’m not expecting more than 20 minutes, as Ayton will still get the bulk of the minutes.
Devin Booker
Booker attempted nine shots in 32 minutes. Last season, Booker attempted fewer than 10 shots just twice. In one of those games, he got injured and played 5 minutes. In the other, he only played 27 minutes. He did dish out six dimes on Wednesday, though. One of my concerns with Booker this season is the presence of Tyus Jones, who could keep the ball out of Booker’s hands more than he’s been used to the past few seasons.
(Top photo of Rui Hachimura: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images)
