Deandre Ayton looked dominant in his preseason debut for the Phoenix Suns on Monday, posting 24 points and nine rebounds in only 30 minutes of action against the Sacramento Kings.

Paul Pierce got the chance to meet Ayton recently and was impressed by his work ethic and desire to be one of the greats. And although it’s only preseason, Ayton showed a glimpse of how special he can be as an NBA player in his debut.

“This is what you want to see from your pick,” Pierce said. “In the preseason — I don’t care — in the pickup games, you want to see him out here being dominant. This is everything. This is going to give him confidence moving forward.”