5 NBA Players Crack the League's Opener 40 Club

Which NBA Players Joined the 40-Point Opener Club?

Let’s highlight some of the biggest scoring performances through the first set of games.

Victor Wembanyama — 40 points

Heading into his third NBA season, Wembanyama started the year off with a bang. Not only did he go off for 40 points against the Dallas Mavericks, but the San Antonio Spurs’ big man put his stellar defense on display, and came down with 15 rebounds.

Analysts and fans are already talking about a potential MVP bid on the way for Wemby.

Tyrese Maxey — 40 points

Typically, Joel Embiid is the 76ers’ leading scorer when he’s healthy, but a rusty night on a minutes restriction called for another player to step up and put together a big scoring night. Against the Boston Celtics, Tyrese Maxey got the job done. The young guard is searching for his second All-Star nod this year.

Anthony Edwards — 41 points

The former top pick has shown plenty of development through his first few NBA seasons. He started his career off as a high-flyer, but expanded his range with consistent three-point shooting last year. In his first game, Edwards knocked down five three-pointers. When it comes to young MVP hopefuls, Edwards is sometimes the forgotten one. He’s looking like a dark horse candidate so far.

Luka Doncic — 43 points

Without LeBron James on the floor, Luka’s usage will remain sky-high for the Lakers. He shot the ball at a high-level clip in his first action this year, averaging 63 percent from the field. Luka flirted with a triple-double by coming down with 12 rebounds and dishing out nine assists.

Aaron Gordon — 50 points

Ladies and gentlemen, your leader. Just as we all expected. Gordon’s not typically a high-volume scorer (17.6 is his career-best average in a season), but Thursday’s game was a masterclass put on by the forward, who couldn’t miss from three. He shot 17-21 from the field and went 10-11 from beyond the arc.

Honorable Mentions — Outside of the Club

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

He was five points shy of a 40-point game against the Houston Rockets in the first game, but he cleared 50 in the Thunder’s overtime win over the Indiana Pacers.

Alperen Sengun

Here’s somebody who outshone the Kevin Durant debut for Houston. Sengun produced 39 points in his season debut for the Rockets this year.

VJ Edgecombe

He cracked 34 points, and it ended up being a historical night for the rookie. Who would’ve thought that on the night that included debuts for Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey, it would be Edgecombe to score nearly 40 points in his debut?

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