Top 5 NBA player performances for Thursday, October 18

The big man is getting things done early for Philly and that's a good sign for this team. Embiid's on his way to a second-straight All-Star Game based on early returns. He recorded 30 points and 12 rebounds in the Sixers' home-opening win against the Chicago Bulls.

While Embiid's stat line stood out, one can't ignore what his teammate Ben Simmons did. After falling short of a triple-double against the Celtics in a loss, Simmons got his first of the season against Chicago. Simmons scored 13 points, grabbed 13 boards, and dished out 11 assists in the victory.

It's early on, but Josh Richardson looked spectacular in the Miami Heat's road win. Richardson tallied 28 points on 8-for-21 shooting. That included going 5-for-11 from downtown. He also had five assists and four boards. Richardson may be looking toward that Most Improved Player Award if he keeps up these stats!

On a night honoring the late Paul Allen and the debut of LeBron for the Lakers, Dame Dash came to ball in Portland. The Blazers guard had 28 points, six rebounds, and four assists in a 128-119 win over Los Angeles.

While he's the only player on the losing side on this list, it's hard to not include LeBron James' debut performance. King James tallied 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting along with 12 rebounds, six assists, and a steal. Unfortunately, he and his teammates need to improve on their range from beyond the three-point arc, as James went 0-for-4 and the starting lineup was 2-for-11.