Ranking every major debut with new teams: John Wall, Donovan Mitchell, Ben Simmons & more headline wild NBA opening week

Scott Rafferty

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Micah Adams

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Ranking every major debut with new teams: John Wall, Donovan Mitchell, Ben Simmons & more headline wild NBA opening week image

Donovan Mitchell donning a Cavs jersey. Dejounte Murray rocking the Hawks red. Rudy Gobert swatting shots as the Timberwolves center.

Opening week always provides some added intrigue with plenty of new faces in new places making their official debuts.

While the three aforementioned All-Stars headlined the NBA musical chairs, they were far from the only major players switching teams in a busy offseason.

How did everyone perform in their new threads? Here's a roundup of 10 notable debuts from the opening days of the season, ranked from first to worst.

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Rudy Gobert
(Getty Images)

1. Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves

Stats: 23 points (10-15 FG, 3-5 FT), 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal

Result: W, 115-108

One of many double-doubles to come for Gobert in Minnesota. His 16 rebounds are the most anyone has recorded in their debut with the Timberwolves. He also provided a scoring punch with a team-best 23 points.

2. Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers

Stats: 31 points (12-21 FG, 2-8 3PT, 5-6 FT), 9 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Result: L, 108-105

Mitchell impressed in his Cavaliers debut by pouring in 31 points. In addition to being a game-high, it's tied for the most points ever scored by a Cavalier in a debut game.

It wasn't enough to come away with the win, but Mitchell's scoring and playmaking were much-needed on a night when the Cavaliers lost Darius Garland early to an eye injury.

3. Christian Wood, Mavericks

Stats: 25 points (9-15 FG, 4-7 3PT, 3-10 FT), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block

Result: L, 107-105

Wood had the hot hand in his debut with the Mavericks. He scored 25 points in 24 minutes off the bench and had a stretch in which he scored 16 straight points for Dallas.

4. Jerami Grant, Trail Blazers

Stats: 23 points (5-11 FG, 3-3 3PT, 10-13 FT), 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist

Result: W, 115-108

When the Trail Blazers acquired the versatile forward from Detroit in the offseason, they figured he would thrive as a third option alongside Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons while helping to shore up a weak defensive starting five. They got all of that and then some in the season-opening win over the Kings as Grant finished as Portland's leading scorer.

Not only did he cash all three of his attempts from beyond the arc, but he relentlessly attacked the cup, getting to the line a game-high 13 times. A near-perfect debut for Portland's new forward.

Trae Young and Dejounte Murray
(Getty Images)

5. Dejounte Murray, Hawks

Stats: 20 points (8-19 FG, 1-5 3PT, 3-3 FT), 11 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 block

Result: W, 117-107

Murray (20 points, 11 assists) and Trae Young (23 points, 13 assists) are the first teammates in NBA history to each record 20-plus points and 10-plus assists in the team's opening game of the season. Add in five steals — a key piece of his pairing with noted traffic cone Young — and it's all positives for the new-look Hawks backcourt.

6. Collin Sexton, Jazz

Stats: 20 points (6-12 FG, 7-8 FT), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 21 minutes

Result: W, 123-102

If Sexton's debut is a sign of things to come in Utah, one of three things is going to happen:

  1. Sexton will win Sixth Man of the Year.
  2. Sexton will play his way into a starting spot.
  3. Sexton will be so good that he'll force Danny Ainge to trade away more pieces.

In a rebuilding year, the Jazz stunned Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in large part thanks to Sexton, who routinely attacked the two-time reigning MVP and finished with a team-high 20 points in just 21 minutes off the bench.

7. Malcolm Brogdon, Celtics

Stats: 16 points (7-11 FG), 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Result: W, 126-117

Brogdon looked every bit the part of a steadying, dependable lead guard off the bench in Boston's season-opening win. While he might have a smaller role in Boston, Brogdon's reputation as a winning player shined through as he finished +9 with 16 points to lead all bench players from both teams. Don't be surprised to see Brogdon in the Sixth Man of the Year hunt all season long.

8. John Wall, Clippers

Stats: 15 points (7-15 FG, 0-4 3PT, 1-3 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Result: 103-97, W

In his first game since April 2021, Wall came off the bench to score 15 points in 24 minutes. He hit a number of jump shots and had a couple of signature finishes around the basket.

9. Jalen Brunson, Knicks

Stats: 15 points (7-18 FG, 1-4 3PT, 0-0 FT), 9 assists, 6 rebounds

Result: L, 115-112 (OT)

It wasn't the most efficient game of Brunson's career, but he came close to a double-double in his Knicks debut, scoring 15 points and dishing out nine assists.

Brunson's final assist set up the biggest shot of the night for New York.

10. Ben Simmons, Nets

Stats: 4 points (2-3 FG, 0-2 FT), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 fouls

Result: L, 130-108

Brooklyn will rightfully preach patience with Simmons, who had not played meaningful basketball since June 2021. And yet fouling out in just 23 minutes — on the heels of fouling out in 20 minutes in Brooklyn's final preseason game — does not bode well.

It's a long season with plenty of time to shake off the rust, but if the Nets are going to be anywhere remotely close to contention, they'll need a far better version of Simmons than the one they saw in the deflating season-opening loss.

Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.

Micah Adams

Micah Adams Photo

Micah Adams is a Managing Editor and Head of Affiliate and Commercial Content at Sporting News. Prior to joining SN in 2021, Adams spent over a decade producing and leading content teams at ESPN, DAZN and The Social Institute. Adams graduated from Duke University in 2009 and remains a Cameron Crazie at heart well into his 30s. When not losing sleep or hair over the Blue Devils, Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bulls, and USMNT, Adams enjoys chasing his two small children around along with his wife, losing golf balls, spending time outdoors and binging terrible movies.