Several players returned to the court during NBA Opening Week.

The opening days of the season not only gave us a first look at this year’s rookie class (which included a historic performance from No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero) and veterans making their debuts on new teams after moving via free agency or trade this offseason, but it also saw the return to the court for a handful of All-Stars that missed all (or most) of last season. 

Some players looked like they hadn’t missed a beat, while others may need to get a few games under their belt to find their rhythm, shake off any residual rust from the long layoff and return to their pre-injury self. 

Zion Williamson (Wednesday: New Orleans at Brooklyn) 

• Last Played: May 4, 2021 (534 days since last NBA game) 
• Game Stats: 25 points, 11-22 FG, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, +13, 30 minutes 
• Game Result: Pelicans 130-108 win over Nets 

It may have been 534 days since Zion played an NBA game that counted, but it sure didn’t look like it on Wednesday night as he posted 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four steals in 30 minutes to lead the Pelicans to a 130-108 win over the Nets in their season opener. 

After an abbreviated rookie season that showed flashes of his brilliance, Zion was simply spectacular as a sophomore, averaging 27 points, seven rebounds and nearly four assists and earning his first All-Star appearance. However, a Jones fracture in his foot would end up costing him the entire 2021-22 season. But as he watched from the sidelines, the Pelicans found their stride after a disastrous start to the season. They made the Play-In Tournament, advanced to the playoffs and pushed the top-seeded Suns to six games. 

Now that team adds a healthy Zion back into the mix, and if opening night was any indication, the ceiling and the expectations for this team are rising fast. Count Charles Barkley as a believer as he said the Pelicans could be a top four team in the West. 

Kawhi Leonard (Thursday: LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers) 

• Last Played: June 14, 2021 (494 days since last NBA game) 
• Game Stats: 14 points, 6-12 FG, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, +5, 21 minutes 
• Game Result: Clippers 103-97 win over Lakers 

It had been nearly 500 days since NBA fans had a chance to see Kawhi Leonard in an NBA game, and Clippers coach Tyronn Lue made us wait an extra 17+ minutes of game time before bringing Leonard off the bench and making his season debut on Thursday night as the Clippers faced the Lakers. 

It didn’t take long for Kawhi to make his mark on the game. After subbing in for Robert Covington with 6:25 remaining in the second quarter, Kawhi grabbed a rebound off an Anthony Davis miss and took the ball coast to coast for a fadeaway jumper going across the lane from right to left. It was rinsed and repeated on the next possession as once again Kawhi rebounded a Lakers miss and hit a fadeaway jumper on the other end, this time going across the lane from left to right. 

Leonard played on 21 minutes in his return game, but finished with 14 points and seven rebounds and was on the court to close the game as the Clippers held off the Lakers for a 103-97 win to extend the Clippers’ win streak in the battle of Los Angeles to eight games dating back to 2020. 

John Wall (Thursday: LA Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers) 

• Last Played: April 23, 2021 (546 days since last NBA game) 
• Game Stats: 15 points, 7-15 FG, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, -3, 25 minutes 
• Game Result: Clippers 103-97 win over Lakers 

Unlike most of the players on this list, John Wall did not miss the entire 2021-22 season due to injury; instead, it was a team decision in Houston to focus on its young talent that led them to sit Wall. After agreeing to a contract buyout in Houston, Wall signed with the Clippers and was eager to get back on the court. 

Keep in mind, Wall had already missed a full two years due to injury in Washington (Dec. 23, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2020) and had played in just 40 games over the previous 1,396 days heading into Thursday’s season opener for the Clippers. 

Similar to Leonard, Wall came off the bench for the Clippers. And also similar to Leonard, he made an immediate impact. Entering the game midway through the first quarter, Wall made his first four shots and finished the opening quarter with eight points and an assist. It wasn’t just that Wall put up numbers, it was the fact that he looked like John Wall, showcasing the speed and athleticism that made him one of the most dangerous guards in the game. If he can maintain this level of play, the Clippers will have gotten a steal in free agency. 

Ben Simmons (Wednesday: Brooklyn vs. New Orleans) 

• Last Played: June 20, 2021 (487 days since last NBA game) 
• Game Stats: 4 points, 2-3 FG, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 fouls, -26, 23 minutes 
• Game Result: Nets 130-108 loss to Pelicans 

In his first game back after missing all last season with Philadelphia and Brooklyn and eventually needing back surgery, Ben Simmons made his Nets debut and finished with four points, five rebounds and five assists in 23 minutes. However, he had the unenviable task of defending Zion Williamson, which led to Simmons also collecting six fouls and fouling out for only the seventh time in his 310 career games. 

“It takes time,” Simmons said after the game. “Having back surgery and being away from the game for a year there are little things that your mind might tell you to do something, but your body’s not wanting to do that.” 

Simmons will have his next chance to shake off the rust on Friday when the Nets host the Raptors. 

Jamal Murray (Wednesday: Denver at Utah) 

• Last Played: April 12, 2021 (556 days since last NBA game) 
• Game Stats: 12 points, 5-13 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, -19, 26 minutes 
• Game Result: Nuggets 123-102 loss to Jazz 

Expectations are high in Denver this year as the team welcomes back both Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. from extended absences this season. After reigning two-time Kia MVP Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets to a 48-34 record and the sixth seed in the West without Murray and Porter Jr. last season, those returns raise the ceiling in Denver. That being said, patience is key for the Nuggets as they reintegrate both players back into the mix. 

In the season opener against a new-look Utah squad, Murray finished with 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting but was a minus-19 in his 26 minutes on the court. “I was shaking off the rust obviously,” Murray said after his first game in 556 days. “I got some great looks, rushed into them hoping just to get a little rhythm.” 

Michael Porter Jr. (Wednesday: Denver at Utah) 

• Last Played: November 6, 2021 (348 days since last NBA game) 
• Game Stats: 15 points, 5-10 FG, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, +1, 35 minutes 
• Game Result: Nuggets 123-102 loss to Jazz 

Porter Jr. led all players in minutes played in the season opener as he finished with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting and seven rebounds in 35 minutes on the court in his first regular season action in nearly a full calendar year. 

Porter (+1) and newcomer Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (+3) were the only Nuggets to finish with a positive plus/minus as the Nuggets fell by 21 points. Things don’t get any easier for the Nuggets as they face the defending champion Warriors in a first-round rematch on Friday night in San Francisco.

Damian Lillard (Wednesday: Portland at Sacramento) 

• Last Played: December 31, 2021 (293 days since last NBA game) 
• Game Stats: 20 points, 5-18 FG, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, -1, 37 minutes 
• Game Result: Blazers 115-108 win over Kings 

Lillard missed more games last season (53) than he had in his first nine seasons in the NBA combined (38), so seeing him back on the court was a welcome site for NBA fans, but maybe not so much for Sacramento Kings fans. The Blazers opened the season with a 115-108 road win over the Kings behind a balanced offensive attack as four players finished between 19 and 23 points. 

Lillard scored 20 points in his first game of the 2022 calendar year but did not shoot the ball well, finishing 5-of-18 (27.8%) from the field and just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc. He did go a perfect 9-for-9 at the free-throw line to get his points and help the Blazers get the win. Lillard’s next chance to find his shot comes Friday when Portland hosts Phoenix in its home opener.