Let's be honest about how opening night went for the rookie class of 2026's top three picks: one watched in street clothes, and two were upstaged by an unheralded 29-year-old. AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick, landed awkwardly on his left ankle after a mid-range jumper in Washington's preseason finale against New Orleans on October 16, limped off, and was ruled out of the Wizards' opening day win at home to Milwaukee. 

Down in Memphis, Darryn Peterson versus Cameron Boozer was billed as one of the opening round's biggest storylines. Peterson managed nine points, four rebounds, and three assists. Boozer went 2 of 15 for seven points, though his plus-32 was the best plus-minus in an NBA debut since the stat has been tracked, and his 11 rebounds and five assists made him the first player under 20 to reach those marks in a debut. 

So, what does it say about opening night that the No. 2 and No. 3 picks combined for 16 points while a guard who missed the first 46 games of last season scored 45? Ty Jerome enjoyed a career night in what was supposed to be a battle of the future superstars, drilling 17 of 25 with the FedExForum crowd chanting "MVP" as he powered a 123-103 Memphis rout. 

But there were some rookies that stole the headlines in the opening round, even though those rookies came from further down the board. 

Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder

Fans christened Aday Mara the "Wemby Stopper" on draft night, and for one iconic sequence in San Antonio, the Spaniard lived up to the billing. The giant center swatted De'Aaron Fox's alley-oop attempt for Victor Wembanyama before dunking at the other end, prompting OKC fans to dream of finally finding the antidote to the man that beat them so many times last season. 

Wemby missed his first 12 shots and finished 1 of 13, though his six blocks and 13 rebounds kept him relevant. "I need to go back to playing the basketball I like," he said. If Mara continues to develop at the current rate, he might not find that kind of basketball for long. 

The rookie's line itself was tidy: seven points on 3 of 4 shooting in 11 minutes behind Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. But it was enough to lead Oklahoma City to a 116-104 win in the first meeting since Wemby's Spurs beat them in the Western Conference Finals back in May. Fast forward to now, and on the back of this victory, online betting sites once again make the Thunder the team to beat out West. 

Popular crypto bookie Thunderpick makes OKC a +115 favorite to reclaim their Western throne, with the defending conference champion Spurs at +170. If Mara, who enjoyed a breakout campaign last year as he won Defensive Player of the Year honors before leading the Wolverines to the National Championship, becomes the "Wemby Stopper" many are tipping him to be, it would take a brave punter to bet against the Thunder reigning supreme again. 

Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors

How many rookies tell Luka Doncic that he sucks in their first NBA game? That’s what Yaxel Lindeborg did. 

Steve Kerr started the No. 11 pick on the Slovenian sensation in a crunch clash between his Golden State Warriors and Luka's Los Angeles Lakers, and the pair traded words throughout the second quarter. Lendeborg picked up a technical; Doncic answered with a half-court buzzer-beater off the glass, then pointed at him to let him know who was still the boss. 

"I was telling him he sucks," the rookie said afterwards. "You can't score on me. I said it the whole game. His only bucket on me was a banker from half court."

Doncic said the rookie was "talking crazy" all night, with Lendeborg himself saying that he "lost all respect" for Doncic due to how much the Slovenian was complaining to match officials as he looked for fouls. Draymond Green backed the Warriors youngster to keep talking, but the scoreboard was less flattering. 

CBS Sports had Doncic shooting 7 of 18, partly thanks to Lendeborg's defense, yet he still posted 28 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in three quarters, and three of Lendeborg's four fouls sent him to the line. Lendeborg scored 12 in 28 minutes of a 127-105 defeat.

At 24, Lendeborg was billed by NBC Sports Bay Area as a win-now rookie. The game gave him "a lot of confidence into being able to guard superstars," and on a team chasing the play-in, he'll get plenty more chances to prove it.

Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls

Is there a crueler number to debut with than minus-45? It's the worst plus-minus in an NBA debut, ahead of Jalen Green (-37) and Amen Thompson (-34) on a list nobody wants to top. Now, it belongs to Chicago's Caleb Wilson. His 16 points came on 7 of 21 shooting, with nine turnovers and no assists in 32 minutes, though a layup, a quick three, and several soaring dunks hinted at what the Bulls drafted fourth overall.

Toronto's 135-92 win was the franchise's largest on opening night and Chicago's worst. The Bulls committed 27 turnovers that became 35 Raptors points and went 4 of 36 from three, while Kawhi Leonard scored 23 in his first game back in The Six. Tiago Splitter criticized the rookie for not passing out of double and triple teams. Wilson's own verdict: "Never too high, never too low."

At North Carolina, he averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds on 57.8 percent shooting before hand and thumb fractures ended his season and still earned second-team AP All-American honors. Taken fourth, he dropped 35 in his Summer League debut, which was the second-most in a Las Vegas debut since 2004. For a team that went 31-51, the play-in would be progress, and Wilson will get the minutes to stay in the Rookie of the Year race.