The Washington Wizards fell short to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night, and while plenty of argument can be made about whether the loss is a positive or not; it's obvious that majority of the interest in this tank-off wasn't about the matchup.
Instead, most of the attention for this showdown stemmed from the long-awaited debut for Trae Young in Washington.
Entering Thursday's battle, plenty of questions regarding Young's fit in head coach Brian Keefe's system and his role alongside a young core in D.C. remained.
Fortunately for Washington and their fanbase, the guard's first showing not only answered those questions, but offered even more encouragement than the team expected, especially in limited minutes.
Trae Young will be everything the Wizards hoped he would
Young played just 19 minutes in his Wizards debut, finishing with 12 points, six assists and two rebounds, while shooting 4-for-9 from field goal range and just 1-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Despite not posting a premiere stat line in his first game in Washington, the playmaker's prescense on the court was undeniable.
Not only did the Oklahoma product command the offense exactly how Brian Keefe has envisioned his starting guard would over the last couple of years, but the added confidence he offered to the young player's on the team was evident.
Two-way standout Julian Reese posted his best game to date and a large part of that was because of the good looks he the offense set up for him.
Not to mention, the Maryland native has proven to be an absolute beast on the boards, but that's a conversation for another time.
Beyond what the stat sheet shows for Young's debut, arguably the most encouraging part was just how good the playmaker looked health wise in his first game back from an MCL injury that has sidelined him for majority of the season.
But wait, there's more!
Young's debut proves he'll be a key to young core
When watching Young play, you can just see his pass-first instincts.
The guard tends to look for his teammate every trip down, especially players in the paint. Young's eyes are always up and he showed that on several occasions Thursday.
For young players like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson, having a facilitator like the 27-year-old will be vital for their development.
And that's not even considering how much potential the duo of Young and Anthony Davis has when the two stars finally get the chance to play alongside one another.