Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash has nothing but praise for his starting point guard Kyrie Irving.

During a conference call with reporters on Monday, Nash said he was surprised by how much explosiveness Irving has in him–even surpassing his initial expectations.

“I always knew Ky was a great athlete, incredibly mobile, and such a gifted mover but he is actually more explosive than I thought, which is really impressive,” the new Nets coach said of Kyrie Irving, via Chris Milholen of SB Nation.

“I don’t remember him being quite as athletic or explosive as he has been. I knew he was a good athlete for sure but he’s been really impressive in his ability to close distances, create space, exploding into gaps – so he looks incredible and he is fun to watch and fun to coach.”

Irving, who's known to be one of the most skilled guards in the NBA, played his first game in 10 months on Saturday. Despite playing only 10 minutes, Irving showed plenty of promise in his preseason debut. The 28-year-old guard finished the game with 18 points, four assists and one rebound. Furthermore, he shot 7-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep.

Steve Nash wasn't the only person in the Nets organization that was surprised by Irving's performance on Saturday either. After the game, Irving's superstar teammate Kevin Durant admired him, too “Kyrie looked incredible. He was unstoppable,” Durant said.

Nevertheless, now that the Nets have Durant and Irving fully healthy, they'll be seeking to win their first NBA championship in franchise history this season.