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The 2021-22 NBA season began with aplomb, with contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors recording statement wins. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets and the LA Lakers endured losses. That sets up a crucial period for them in the coming days as they look to consolidate their title charge with a few wins.
Stars like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo turned in impressive performances on the opening day. However, a few top players did not score a single point.
Scoring is arguably the most important facet of basketball, but there are players in every NBA team who epitomize that there is more to the game than just scoring. On that note, here are five players who ended up scoring zero points on the opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season:
#5 Facundo Campazzo, Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets inflicted a 110-98 loss on the Phoenix Suns on opening night in a game that saw two Western Conference heavyweights go head-to-head. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic stole the show with a 27-point, 13-rebound effort, while Will Barton chipped in with 20 points.
Nuggets' Argentinian teammate Facundo Campazzo came off the bench in a back-up point guard role, but left the court without scoring a point. He ended the game with three rebounds and four assists, though.
#4 Davis Bertans, Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards had a fine game on opening night, defeating the Toronto Raptors 98-83. Bradley Beal and Montrezl Harrell played key roles in their side's win, but the most alarming aspect was that Davis Bertans ended the game with no point.
Bertans is one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA. He has converted his attempts from the deep at 40% or more efficiency in the last few seasons. Hence, it is surprising to see him ending an NBA game with zero points.
#3 Royce O'Neale, Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz routed the OKC Thunder in their NBA 2021-22 season opener, defeating them by an emphatic scoreline of 107-86. The Jazz offense didn't click as much as they would have liked to, but their defense completely suffocated the Thunder.
Royce O'Neale played a key part in their impressive defensive performance, but failed to do anything of note at the offensive end. He ended the game with zero points, six rebounds and two assists.
It is unfair to ask O'Neale for a lot at the offensive side of the ball, sd he always ends up guarding the opposition's best player every time the Jazz play. But he can certainly do better than what he did against the Thunder.
#2 Killian Hayes, Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons will certainly be alarmed by the fact that their starting point guard was not able to score a single point in their season opener. Sophomore point guard Killian Hayes has come into the 2021-22 NBA season with high expectations. But he will be disappointed with his performance against the Chicago Bulls.
The Pistons ended up losing the game 88-94 to the Bulls. So head coach Dwayne Casey will hope he sees an improved version of Killian Hayes on the court when they take on the Bulls again on Saturday.
#1 Danny Green, Philadelphia 76ers
In what is probably one of the most staggering stat lines in the modern NBA, Philadelphia 76ers swingman Danny Green ended the game against the New Orleans Pelicans with zero points, rebounds and assists.
He played 19 minutes, spending time at both the shooting guard and small forward positions. But he was not able to trouble the scorekeepers. Green mostly plays in an off-the-ball role, but not scoring a single point is quite uncharacteristic of him.
Nevertheless, the 76ers ended up winning their NBA game against the Pelicans 97-117, despite Danny Green's shocking performance. It was a team effort, as Furkan Korkmaz, Joel Embiid, Seth Curry and Tobias Harris scored at least 20 points in the game.
Also Read: What years did Danny Green win his rings?
