The 2021 NBA Playoffs are off and running. All 16 teams have taken the floor and have produced breathtaking games one after the other. In all eight games so far, only two games were decided by double-digits.
Amid the nerve-racking and unpredictable battles, new playoff stars have emerged. It’s their first time under the bright lights of the postseason, but they didn’t buckle under pressure. Instead, they rose to the occasion and barged into our collective playoff basketball consciousness.
Introducing the All-Debut team of the NBA playoffs:
Trae Young
32 points, 11/23 FG, 9/9 FTM, 10 assists, 7 rebounds
Trae Young became an instant hero for the Atlanta Hawks, and inversely, New York’s number one villain.
The third-year player gave a memorable shot that catapulted him into NBA playoff lore. He hit a ridiculous floater with 0.9 seconds left to give the Hawks a 1-0 series lead. It was a clutch moment that’s reserved for the great ones.
But more than nailing the game-winner, it was his overall swagger and confidence that shook everyone watching. Here was this 22-year-old who shushed the entire Madison Square Garden. He received “FU” chants from the fans and he gave an in-your-face FU shot right back.
Young's postgame quotes were even perfect, saying “It got really quiet at the end there” and "They’re still yelling now, I don’t care” among many other memorable lines. His actions, words, and free throw-getting sorcery could fuel the entire New York fanbase into a full rage pandemonium for the rest of the series.
Devin Booker
34 points, 13/26 FG, 7 rebounds, 8 assists
Devin Booker shredded the fifth best defensive team in the league like he was driving down the road on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
It wasn’t as if the Lakers didn’t make the young gunslinger work for his 34 points, but it just seemed that Booker was always one step ahead. Whether it was him coming off screens or being the ball handler, he just knew where to attack. He chopped up the single coverage and sliced through the traps thrown at him.
Booker's playmaking has grown by leaps and bounds and it was none more evident with how he dissected the Lakers’ coverages. On top of that, he set a franchise record for most points scored in a postseason debut.
Deandre Ayton
21 points, 10/11 FG, 16 rebounds
Much was said about the Lakers’ daunting frontline and how it looked feeble compared to the Suns'. Well, Ayton probably heard those comments and went out and played like a beast.
Ayton single-handedly outrebounded Anthony Davis (7) and Andre Drummond (9). He also became a source of much-needed offense as he missed only a single field goal. Ayton’s huge double-double proves that the Suns have a lot of size of their own. On the defensive end, he was just as significant as he stood his ground against Davis, Drummond, and Montrezl Harrell.
If Booker had the most debut points in the Suns’ playoff history, Ayton set his own record by becoming the first Phoenix player to have a 20-10 game in his first postseason outing.
Dillon Brooks
31 points, 13/26 FG, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks
How big of a chip do you think is on Dillon Brooks’ shoulder? It’s as though he has his own scoreboard in his head and he has to fight his way out of a 20-point hole all by himself. That’s how he plays. He's an all-out, all-heart player that’s becoming a postseason star.
Everyone knew about the hard-nosed defense he showcased after putting Steph Curry in a straitjacket during the play-in, but he’s now proven that he can put the ball in the hoop amid playoff pressure. And he did it against a top defensive team who had the best record in the league.
Brooks can surely score, averaging 17.2 points on 15.4 attempts during the regular season. However, he found another gear and went on to nearly double those numbers versus the Jazz, shooting the ball 26 times en route to 31 points.
Brooks now holds the franchise scoring record in a playoff debut, eclipsing Marc Gasol’s 24 points in 2011.
Ja Morant
26 points, 11/21 FG, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Ja Morant didn’t have a scintillating game-winner nor was he even his team’s top-scorer. But when the Jazz were making a fourth quarter run, he was at the forefront making clutch baskets.
Even though he was closely guarded being the star of the Grizzlies, he still found a way to play his attacking and pressing style. He didn’t settle for 3s (he was only 0-for-1 from beyond the arc). He found cracks on the perimeter and drove straight to the heart of the defense.
Teams often build a specific game plan to stop a star player. They take away your first option so you have to be ready for a counter punch. Morant was not only prepared but he took everything that Jazz threw at him on the chin.
The Jazz will obviously regroup and mix it up defensively to try to stop both Morant and Brooks. However, you can’t take back what happened in Game 1. First blood belongs to Morant and the Grizzlies.
