National Basketball Association

Trae Young, Ja Morant, Luka Dončić and Suns duo give glimpse of NBA's bright future

Published May. 25, 2021 7:14 a.m. ET

If the early action of the NBA playoffs is any indication, the future of the league is in good hands.

A quintet of players ⁠— making either their playoff debuts or enjoying their second crack at the postseason ⁠— put on varying displays of greatness to kickstart the NBA playoffs, as Nick Wright of "First Things First" noted.

Ja Morant, Trae Young, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Luka Dončić all came up big and put themselves on the map this weekend, Wright said, qualifying that Dončić made that leap a year ago.

"We have these young future stars, who all, in their first playoff moments, showed up big in the biggest spots," Wright said.

While we still enjoy the exploits of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and other playoff veterans, the foundation has been laid for the proverbial passing of the baton.

With that in mind, let's get a refresher on how each of the aforementioned players did in his respective games and hear what some other pundits had to say.

Ja Morant

Game 1 performance: 26 points, four assists and four rebounds in a 112-109 win for the Memphis Grizzlies against the Utah Jazz

Deeper dive: Morant's numbers might not jump off the page, but remember that Sunday was his playoff debut ⁠— in a sense. As impressive as his 26 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, against the top seed in the West might be, he really flew onto the postseason scene in the Play-In Tournament.

Facing omission from the larger playoff field in a play-in scenario for the second consecutive season, Morant put on a fireworks show against the Golden State Warriors. The 21-year-old guard played 45 minutes of Memphis' 117-112 overtime win against Steph Curry & Co., pouring in 35 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals.

What people are saying: "The thing that amazes me is even when he drives to the basket, he'll jump off the wrong foot and things like that, to where you can't time an opportunity ⁠— forget blocking it ⁠— to even contest it." ⁠— Sam Mitchell, NBA TV

Trae Young

Game 1 performance: 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in a 107-105 win for the Atlanta Hawks vs. the New York Knicks

Deeper dive: Young disregarded his surname against the Knicks, looking more like a grizzled veteran than a 22-year-old making his playoff debut. His 32 points, 21 of which came in the second half, were a game high, and he scored at a more efficient clip (47.8%) than his career field-goal percentage (43.1%).

He also showed a flair for the dramatic, scoring nine "clutch" points, defined as points scored in the final five minutes of a game in which the point differential is five or fewer. Young's most clutch bucket of all came with the game tied, when he floated a buzzer-beater to win his first playoff game as a pro, silencing the boisterous crowd at Madison Square Garden.

What people are saying: "Ice Trae! … He went to the Garden in his first playoff game and did that. … When you needed him to be sensational, he was sensational." ⁠— Shannon Sharpe, "Undisputed"

Devin Booker

Game 1 performance: 34 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a 99-90 win for the Phoenix Suns vs. the Los Angeles Lakers

Deeper dive: Booker has been outspoken about his desire to play in the playoffs and was finally rewarded this season, his sixth in the league. The 24-year-old isn't as young as the others on this list, but he was as raw as any of them when it came to playoff experience. Even so, in his debut, he led the Suns past the vaunted Lakers with nine points in the fourth quarter.

Furthermore, after a shoulder injury left Chris Paul struggling offensively, Booker picked up the scoring slack while getting his teammates involved. He had three assists in the first half of Game 1 and upped that total to five assists in the second half.

What people are saying: "Out of everyone in the NBA, the guy whose offensive game reminds me the most of the Mamba, Kobe Bryant, it's Devin Booker. ... He was easily the best player on the floor [in Game 1]." ⁠— Max Kellerman, "First Take"

Deandre Ayton

Game 1 performance: 21 points and 16 rebounds in a 99-90 win for the Suns vs. the Lakers

Deeper dive: Given that it had been more than a decade since the Suns tasted the postseason, it makes sense that they'd have two stars on this list. Ayton, the No. 1 overall pick in 2018, was a beast in his playoff debut. The 22-year-old averaged 14.4 points and 10.5 rebounds this season, but he blew those numbers out of the water against the Lakers.

The 6-foot-11 center also played outstanding defense, hounding Anthony Davis to the point that the Lakers' big man took "full responsibility" for L.A.'s loss in Game 1.

What people are saying: "[Anthony Davis] allowed a young, talented Deandre Ayton to dominate the game." ⁠— Chris Broussard, "First Things First"

Luka Dončić

Game 1 performance: 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 113-103 win for the Dallas Mavericks vs. the LA Clippers

Deeper dive: Dončić isn't a playoff newcomer, but he still checks in at just 22 years old in his second trip to the postseason. He smacked the Clippers for a triple-double to kickstart Dallas' first-round series and made history along the way, becoming the first NBA player with three triple-doubles in his first seven playoff games. Dončić dominated the Clippers for 21 first-half points before Kawhi Leonard & Co. adjusted to take the ball out of his hands, but he still chipped in 10 second-half points and picked up five assists in the win.

The Mavs and Clippers matched up in the playoffs a season ago, when the Slovenian star averaged — you guessed it — 31.0 points in six games. Adding to the intrigue this time around is the perception that the Clippers tanked at the end of the regular season so they could draw the Mavs in the first round. The Clippers did get the best of the Mavericks in 2020's playoffs in the bubble, but so far, the series advantage is in the hands of Dončić and Dallas.

What people are saying: "If Luka Dončić can average 31-10-10 in seven games against a team with arguably the best wing defenders in basketball, what is he going to look like against anybody else?" ⁠— Nick Wright, First Things First

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