Fansided

5 best things from NBA opening week

By Hunter Kuffel

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 17: Boban Marjanovic #51 of the LA Clippers dunks the ball against the Denver Nuggets during a game on October 17, 2018 at Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 17: Boban Marjanovic #51 of the LA Clippers dunks the ball against the Denver Nuggets during a game on October 17, 2018 at Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 17: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets during a game on October 17, 2018 at Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 17: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets during a game on October 17, 2018 at Toyota Center, in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /

4. The MVP race has begun in earnest

In other news that might carry a bit more weight come playoffs time, Anthony Davis is really freaking good. His performance on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets was about as ideal an MVP campaign debut as you could ask for.

Here’s Davis’s line from the contest: 32 points on 13-of-21 shooting, 16 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and three blocks. He might as well have flown the jet from New Orleans and handed out plastic cups of Diet Coke at the same time.

Davis had plenty of help from his teammates to smack the Rockets 131-112. Nikola Mirotic had 30 points, Julius Randle had 25 and E’Twaun Moore had 21. Davis outshone everyone in the arena, though. If the Pels can keep up their blistering pace and Davis can hold up with more center minutes for a whole season, then this team will have no trouble stacking up enough wins for AD to take home his first MVP award. The talent is there.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, arguably AD’s biggest competitor for the award this season, had an impressive start on Wednesday as well, as the Bucks successfully held off the Hornets 113-112. Giannis had 25 points, 18 boards and eight assists, and the Bucks as a team held on for the win, when they may have been burnt out by a white-hot Kemba Walker just last season.

Anything, of course, can happen over an entire regular season. Dark horse candidates can emerge and frontrunners can fizzle and sputter. After two opening performances like this, however, it’s easy to imagine Giannis and AD trading jabs for the top spot for the next 81 games.

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