Tuesday night was supposed to signal the grand return of an MVP and a move back to normalcy for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Instead, it was the latest and greatest reminder that Kevin Durant may not be the most exciting young player in the NBA any longer.
Anthony Davis steals the show in Kevin Durant’s season debut
Instead of celebrating the return of Kevin Durant to OKC, we’re all fawning over the brilliance of Anthony Davis.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
That honor probably belongs to Anthony Davis now.
The Pelicans star forward tore through the Thunder on Tuesday night, spoiling Durant's season debut in a 112-104 win that got New Orleans back to .500 and dropped OKC to 5-13. While the Thunder scramble to put the pieces back together after a shambling start to the season, Pelicans fans are surely fawning over their MVP candidate.
And yes, Davis is undeniably going to compete for MVP awards in the future, if not this season. He’s been among the best players in the league at age 21 and stole the show Tuesday night with a stunning 30-point, 10-rebound, six-steal, four-block, four-assist effort.
It was just the latest in a series of stellar performances for Davis, but because of the competition, this one stood out. Durant has long been one of the most exciting players in the game and a prime candidate to take LeBron James' place as the league's best player. His return on Tuesday night was supposed to be the highlight.
Then the actual game started, Davis got going and suddenly the honeymoon period of KD’s return was over. Even if the reigning MVP needs a few games to shake off the rust from his lengthy absence, there was little doubt about who was the best player on the court Tuesday night.
Davis was a whirlwind of unimaginable athleticism, creating opportunities on offense while stifling them on the other end of the floor. His only flaw was a 9-of-16 shooting performance from the charity stripe, but the fact that he even drew that many free throw attempts shows how much OKC struggled to stop him around the basket.
And this comes from a guy who initially made his name as a premier shot blocker and rim protector, which he absolutely still is. Just ask Kendrick Perkins:
To be fair, Durant had a great game himself. For pretty much anyone else, scoring 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting in a season debut would be amazing. He hit a three on his second attempt of the season to put OKC up 6-0 (a lead that wouldn’t last very long):
But KD also showed noticeable rust at times, committing five turnovers with just two assists. Plus, he grabbed only three rebounds in 30 minutes. Again, not a terrible performance, but it was overshadowed by Davis. The Pelicans forward just that good.
What does this mean for the Western Conference going forward? It's hard to say, because New Orleans lacks the depth to really compete in the West and OKC shouldn't be judged until KD and Russell Westbrook are back to their old selves.
Yet Davis has steadily proven he’s one of the best players in the NBA and can compete with the Durants of the world. Don’t be surprised if these two are battling for the MVP annually over the next few years.
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