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The opening weekend of the 2021 NBA playoffs saw several upcoming stars of the future play in their debut playoff game.
The majority of these players seemed unfazed by the challenge and approached the game like seasoned veterans. The NBA fraternity was in awe of how well these young stars performed and heaped praise on them.
On that note, we list down the five best debut performances witnessed on the opening weekend of the 2021 NBA playoffs below.
5 debut performances that stood out in the 2021 NBA Playoffs opening weekend
#5 Ja Morant
Ja Morant continues to impress for the Memphis Grizzlies with each passing game and has carried over his scintillating play-in tournament form into the 2021 NBA playoffs.
Morant scored 26 points in Game 1 of the Grizzlies' first-round series matchup against the Utah Jazz on Sunday.
The 2020 Rookie of the Year shot 52% from the field and converted all four of his free-throw attempts, which helped his team cause one of the biggest upsets of the opening weekend.
The Grizzlies won the game 112-109 despite Utah's homecourt advantage.
#4 Dillon Brooks
Ja Morant's teammate Dillon Brooks was another architect of the Memphis Grizzlies' Game 1 triumph over the Utah Jazz.
Brooks' impact has been second to none on the defensive end, and he has been more than decent on the offensive end as well.
Brooks returned with astounding numbers at the end of the game against the Jazz, tallying 31 points, seven assists, two steals and blocks apiece, on 50% field goal shooting. He broke the franchise record for most points in a playoff debut for a player.
Brooks was instrumental in helping the Grizzlies overcome the Golden State Warriors in their play-in tournament fixture as well, as he did a solid job guarding Steph Curry.
Brooks allowed Curry to score just six points against him as his primary defender, on 2-of-10 shooting from the field.
#3 Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton was one of the key members of the Phoenix Suns' stellar season and the reason why they were able to clinch a playoff berth after a decade.
He made sure to carry his regular-season form into the playoffs against the defending champions LA Lakers and answered his critics in style by outperforming Anthony Davis.
Ayton finished the night with 21 points and 16 rebounds on 11-of-12 shooting from the field. He had more offensive boards (8) than Davis had rebounds (7) in Game 1 of their 2021 NBA playoff first-round series on Sunday.
Ayton was under the scanner before the playoffs began as he had failed to keep up with the Lakers' big men (Andre Drummond and Davis) during their last matchup in the regular season on May 9.
Keeping that in mind, his heroics in Game 1 on Sunday made his playoff debut even sweeter.
#2 Devin Booker
Devin Booker made his much-awaited NBA playoff debut after a five-season long wait on Sunday against the LA Lakers.
Booker was mentally prepared for it, and his game-winning 34-point performance was a testament to what he is capable of in big games like this. The Suns won the game 99-90.
Booker claimed the record for scoring the most points by a Phoenix Suns player in a playoff debut. He also had eight assists and seven rebounds on the night and shot 50% from the field.
The Suns are currently the underdogs in their first-round series against the LA Lakers, but if Booker continues to flourish, this series could go right down to the wire.
1) Trae Young
Trae Young produced one of the most jaw-dropping NBA playoff debut performances on Sunday at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.
The point guard had 31 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds and also hit the game-winner with 0.9 seconds to go to help his team triumph 107-105.
Silencing a hostile Madison Square Garden crowd with a game-winner is not easy, and for Trae Young to do that in his NBA playoff debut was one of the biggest highlights of the opening weekend's action.
Young also made history with his tally of 30+ points and 10 assists on the night to become just the fourth playoff debutant in NBA history to have those totals.
He joined the elite company of veterans like LeBron James, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose, the latter of whom was on the opposing team.
