5 most impressive stat lines of the 2021-22 NBA season so far

After plenty of drama and conversation around certain NBA franchises, the 2021-22 NBA season has finally begun. The initial few days of the season are usually like the first round of modern boxing, with several games not causing too much excitement. However, the new season has still given us some great performances.

NBA players are the most talented and spectacular players on the planet, although some might not be the most polished in terms of basketball fundamentals. In only one or two games, we can notice that NBA players are a different breed of athletes to players from some other leagues.

In this article, we will give you a recount of the five most impressive stat lines of the incipient 2021-22 NBA season. Whether it comes from stars or role players does not matter, but the shock factor is big in this one.

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5 Impressive individual performances of the 2021-22 NBA season so far

We saw the reigning NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks come out of the gates with tremendous confidence and chemistry on Opening Night. They beat a Brooklyn Nets squad that looked ready, despite the Kyrie Irving saga.

The Golden State Warriors, still without Klay Thompson, also defeated the LA Lakers on Opening Night. The Warriors' victory came despite Stephen Curry not enjoying his best scoring night.

Later, the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics played a great double-OT game that was edge-of-seat material, and New York pulled off the win with big-time plays. The Philadelphia 76ers, involved in the Ben Simmons' issue, played well in their season-opening game against the New Orleans Pelicans on the road (without Zion Williamson) and took a victory.

Now, let's take a look at the five most impressive individual performances from the first set of NBA 2021-22 matches.

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#5 Patty Mills - Brooklyn Nets

Patty Mills during the Brooklyn Nets' Media Day.

Although the Milwaukee Bucks handled the Brooklyn Nets well on opening night, the Nets' offense found a certain groove on stretches during the game. Kevin Durant scored 32 points on 13/25 field goals and Patty Mills, the team's best addition of the offseason, also looked electric.

Mills came off the bench and scored 21 points in 29 minutes of action. Despite his performance, the Brooklyn Nets' bench only scored 25 points. Mills night was spectacular and was probably proof of what is yet to come.

He converted seven attempts from the three-point line, went 7/11 from the field and filled the stat sheet with two rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block on the night.

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#4 Nemanja Bjelica - Golden State Warriors

Nemanja Bjelica #8 of the Golden State Warriors is congratulated by Draymond Green.

The Golden State Warriors pulled off a solid road win against the favored LA Lakers at Staples Center on Opening Night. While the stat sheet might suggest differently, given LeBron James and Anthony Davis' performances (both scored over 30 points) and Stephen Curry's struggles, Golden State took the win and started the season on a positive note.

Curry put up a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but he converted just five of his 21 shots (2/8) from the three-point line. He was the Warriors' top scorer, but they had many contributors with five other players scoring over 10 points.

Among those players, Nemanja Bjelica led the bench with 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes. In a match many expected to be dominated by names like LeBron, Davis, Curry and more, Bjelica produced a standout performance to help the Warriors win.

It is also worth noting that Bjelica, who played for the Sacramento Kings and Miami Heat in the 2020-21 NBA season, scored 15 points or more just three times in 37 appearances. He also did not register double-digit rebounds in a game even once.

#3 Jaylen Brown - Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown during the Boston Celtics' Media Day.

Jaylen Brown's 2020-21 NBA season ended early with an injury to his left wrist. But he looked eager to make up for lost time in the current NBA campaign and was brilliant on opening night. Brown put up a huge, career-high 46 points in the Boston Celtics' match against the New York Knicks.

Although he could not stop the Celtics from losing a double-OT thriller against the Knicks, Brown showed that he is ready for the 2021-22 NBA season. He also looks set to lead the Cs alongside Jayson Tatum, who struggled in the season-opener.

Brown converted 16 of his 30 shots and also grabbed nine rebounds, dished out six assists and recorded three steals. However, New York's Julius Randle and Evan Fournier answered with 35 and 32 points, respectively.

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#2 Harrison Barnes - Sacramento Kings

Harrison Barnes #40 of the Sacramento Kings.

Harrison Barnes had a solid and efficient season with the Sacramento Kings last year. He averaged 16.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with 49/39/83 shooting splits across 58 appearances in the regular season.

His good form seems to have carried into the 2021-22 NBA season as Barnes started off the new campaign with a 36-point outing in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. While Damian Lillard struggled with his shot, Barnes and the Kings took advantage of the situation and picked up a 124-121 win on the road.

Barnes scored 36 points, grabbed nine rebounds and recorded two steals in 36 minutes. He led both teams in scoring and made a career-high eight of his 11 attempts from the three-point line.

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#1 LaMelo Ball - Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets.

The Charlotte Hornets will look to take their season one step further in the 2021-22 campaign after falling in last year's Play-In tournament. They started off with a close 123-122 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

LaMelo Ball, last year's NBA Rookie of the Year, started his sophomore campaign with a brilliant performance. He put up 31 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a couple of steals to help his side edge the contest.

Moreover, Ball made seven of his nine threes, matching his career-high in terms of threes made in a single game and certainly impressed with his overall display. Most importantly, he put up those numbers in only 29 minutes of action.

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