Performers of the night - Oct. 19
The NBA is back in all its glory, and the first full slate of games saw plenty of star-studded performances across the league.
It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to send out my work here, but I’m excited to start a new series where I focus on performances across the league that might have flown under the radar. Stars are going to do what stars do, but the performances I highlight here are equally important. Without further ado, here are the underrated guys to know from the first full night of action.
Bruno Fernando, Houston Rockets
Originally seeming to be an afterthought in the Daniel Theis trade last season, Bruno Fernando did enough to impress Rockets brass enough to earn a spot on the 15-man roster, beating out guys like Derrick Favors, Theo Maledon and Willie Cauley-Stein. Houston’s faith paid off in a big way on opening night, with Fernando posting seven points on perfect shooting from the floor, to go along with nine rebounds, two blocks, zero turnovers and… seven assists(?!?!).
Fernando showed poise and skill in the opener, moving the ball extremely well and impressively not fouling or turning the ball over a single time. Fernando actually earned a starting spot in the opener over Alperen Sengun, who played well in a bench role, and he meshed extremely well with the starting unit.
What a job by the Rockets’ front office for finding a potential gem in Fernando and props to the big man out of Maryland for finding a home. After bouncing around three teams since being drafted 34th overall in 2019, Fernando appears to have a significant chance to be a major staple in Houston’s rotation.
Dennis Smith Jr. and Nick Richards, Charlotte Hornets
The Charlotte Hornets had arguably the worst off-season by a team in a long time, mostly due to no fault of their own. From legal issues and drama surrounding Miles Bridges, Montrezl Harrell and James Bouknight to failing to hire their preferred head coaching candidate, the back luck kept piling up for Charlotte. And yet, none of that mattered in the Queen City team’s trouncing of the San Antonio Spurs in the season-opener.
Without star point guard LaMelo Ball, who is dealing with an injury, the Hornets put up 129 points on the tanking Spurs and saw seven players score in double figures. While the performances from Charlotte’s starting lineup shouldn’t be forgotten, including 24 points from Terry Rozier, 20 points from Gordon Hayward and an impressive 17-point, seven-rebound, four-assist, three-block performance from P.J. Washington, the 31 combined points off the bench from Nick Richards and Dennis Smith Jr. was my favorite showing of the night.
Richards has long been a favorite prospect of mine and somebody I was pleasantly surprised to see drafted. In 68 games with Charlotte, Richards has struggled to see time on the floor, holding a career 6.3-minutes-per-game average. Richards rewarded Charlotte’s patience by posting career highs in minutes, points and rebounds, going for 19 points and 10 rebounds in the opener, playing like a completely different player. Even more impressively, eight of Richards’ 10 boards came on the offensive glass.
Meanwhile, Smith, who was signed to a non-guaranteed contract last month, played backup point guard minutes off the bench. Smith went for 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting from the floor, along with four assists, two rebounds, two steals, two blocks and just one turnover. Instead of forcing shots, Smith understood his role and played the ultimate team game, contributing a fantastic defensive performance and taking smart shots. If he keeps this up, the Hornets will have no choice but to guarantee his contract. And with Ball out, Smith has a chance to take a stranglehold on primary bench ball-handling duties moving forward, even when Ball returns.
Ayo Dosunmu and Goran Dragic, Chicago Bulls
Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball are both out? No problem, apparently. Both Ayo Dosunmu and Goran Dragic were able to hold the fort for Chicago’s guard play in impressive displays that led to a 116-108 upset over the Miami Heat on Miami’s home court.
Dosunmu earned the Bulls’ starting point guard role after an impressive off-season in which he showed tremendous growth, and he put it all out there on the court in his 2022-23 debut. Dosunmu posted 17 points, four assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block in 36 minutes of play, connecting on 7 of 14 shots from the floor. While DeMar DeRozan was undeniably the star of the show, it was difficult for Miami to contain Dosunmu, leading to a stellar first game of the season.
Dragic added 12 points, two assists and two steals to the mix, making 4 of 5 three-point attempts, proving to be a bargain signing right out the gates for Chicago. Last season, the Bulls struggled mightily with prolonged absences for Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball.
After starting the 2021-22 season with a 26-10 record, including a nine-game win streak spanning from December to January, the Bulls stumbled to a 20-26 record the rest of the season and only won eight games after the All-Star break. The presence of Dosunmu and Dragic may be the difference in Chicago being competitive all season long.
Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
One of the Pelicans’ heralded rookie trio from last season, Trey Murphy III entered his second season with New Orleans as one of the most important pieces off the bench. With a nearly unrivaled release in his jump shot, Murphy has the ability to provide instant offense for a Pelicans team needing such offense on its second unit.
Murphy posted 16 points, nine rebounds and two assists, leading the second unit in points and minutes. The second-year wing out of Virginia hit 4 of his 6 three-point attempts and helped the ball move around, contributing to New Orleans’ 31 assists in a dominant showing over the Brooklyn Nets.
Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
Critics of the Orlando Magic have flamed the Jalen Suggs selection since the organization selected him fourth overall in the 2021 draft, with the No. 5 overall pick, Scottie Barnes, going on to win Rookie of the Year. After missing so much time last season, Suggs came back and proved why he earned the status of being a top-five pick last year.
In his sophomore debut, Suggs put up 21 points on a 4 for 6 clip from distance, along with three assists and two steals. It wasn’t all amazing for Suggs, since he fouled out of the game and posted four turnovers, but it was definitely an encouraging sign to see him help lead the charge against a Pistons team that is about a year further ahead in their rebuild.
Excitingly for Magic fans, Suggs, 2021 No. 8 overall pick Franz Wagner and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero combined for 68 of Orlando’s 109 points, a phenomenal sign for the state of the rebuild. The Magic will be a fun team this season and even though close losses like this one will stack up and sting, it will be incredibly important for the sake of establishing a new culture in Orlando.
Rookie of the Year watch:
I won’t spend a ton of time with these guys because their performances have been talked about ad nauseum. But this year’s rookie class already looks more promising than most were led to believe.
Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets
Despite not shooting the ball well, Jabari Smith Jr. immediately stepped into a starting role with the Rockets as expected and put up a respectable 17 points and seven rebounds in his league debut, playing 33 minutes. Other guys like Sengun, Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green might end up shooting the ball too many times for Smith to win Rookie of the Year, but his appearance on an All-Rookie team is expected.
Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero is the first rookie since LeBron James to put up at least 25-5-5 in his debut. ‘Nuff said.
Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers
Despite being somewhat of a mystery man, I’ve been convinced that Sharpe falling to the Portland Trail Blazers was one of the biggest steals in the draft. Sharpe played 16 minutes off the bench in his first organized regular-season game since high school and put up 12 points on perfect shooting from downtown. A hyper athlete, Sharpe is somebody that is likely join Anfernee Simons as the successor to the successful Damian Lillard-CJ McCollum backcourt.
Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
I adored the Bennedict Mathurin selection by the Indiana Pacers and I believe he fits perfectly next to Tyrese Haliburton. Though he didn’t get a start in his first game, Mathurin logged 28 minutes and the third-most field-goal attempts on the team. Mathurin finished the game with 19 points to go along with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons
Everyone universally agrees that Jaden Ivey was an absolute steal by the Detroit Pistons, as he had enough talent to be considered with the No. 1 overall pick until late in the cycle. Ivey, who started next to Cade Cunningham in the backcourt, put up 19 points, four assists, three steals and three rebounds in 32 minutes, shooting 53.3% from the field.
The Ivey-Cunningham backcourt is already one of the most electric in the league and only has room to improve. Ivey’s debut was just confirmation of that fact.
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
As if things couldn’t get better for the 1-0 Pistons, Jalen Duren looked much better in his debut and was much more active than I would’ve expected for such a project piece. Duren led the team in bench minutes, putting up a double-double in his debut.
Nerlens Noel was listed as available but had just come off the injury report, so it seems as if Detroit is taking its time with him. While Noel may eat into Duren’s minutes, the Pistons would be wise to ride the hot hand. It helps that Duren added five offensive boards and three blocks in his debut.
Quick hitter:
Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
I can’t put Robinson in my column because he only played 11 minutes, but this is my official plea to get him more playing time. Robinson did some things I haven’t seen him do much of in his limited time, including running the floor. The preseason showed a more active, alert form of Robinson, who seemed to take last season’s lessons to heart.
In just 11 minutes, Robinson put up five points, four rebounds and three assists and was a team-high plus-eight, helping Miami back into things late.