RotoBaller NBA Recap (10/17/2018): Davis Makes MVP Statement

Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA recap.  In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from the previous night's slate of NBA games.

While Tuesday was the "official"  tipoff to the season, in reality, Wednesday night was the real opening night as 22 of the league's 30 teams were in action. There was a lot of good action last night with four of the 11 games ending with a margin of four or fewer points at the final buzzer. Two other contests finished with single-digit margins. More importantly, perhaps, several stars and highly-touted rookies were real impressive in their season debuts.

Let's take it away with our real opening night fantasy highlights (and lowlights).

Anthony Davis: Makes An Early MVP Statement

Davis has said one of his goals this season is to be named MVP. Davis, who entered the season as the second favorite, behind LeBron James to claim the reward per Bovada, is surely off to a good start to make his dream a reality.

The 6-foot-10 big man was dominant on both ends of the floor as the Pelicans coasted to a surprisingly easy victory over the Rockets. He turned in a nearly flawless performance as he finished the night with 32 points along with 16 rebounds and a career-high eight assists. He made 13-of-21 shots from the field and 6-of-7 attempts from the charity stripe while also contributing three steals as well as three blocks. The 25-year-old did come close to fouling out, although he turned the ball over just once in 39 minutes of action. He was a big positive in every category except threes.

Davis has now posted a double-double in 11 straight games, which includes nine postseason games last season, and 15-of-16. The 25-year-old, coming off his best season in 2017-18, had a career best 50 double-doubles and one triple-double last season.

Davis is a fantasy beast, but don't expect too many  80-point night like he registered against the Rockets. The 2017-18 fantasy points champion (55.1 per game) has finished sixth or better in the league each season since 2014-15.

Deandre Ayton: Records Double-Double In Debut

Ayton was thought to be the player most ready to contribute immediately in the 2018 NBA draft. Which is why the Phoenix Suns selected the 7-foot-1, 250-pound center with the No. 1 overall pick in a highly-touted 2018 draft class.

Ayton didn't show any indication that the Suns made a mistake in his debut as he dominated his matchup versus 2017 All-Star DeAndre Jordan. The 20-year-old, who recorded the first rebound of the game, opened the scoring for the Suns by converting a three-point play as he was fouled by fellow rookie Luka Doncic. Ayton also knocked down a couple of mid-range jumpers on his way to a 10-point, five rebound and two assist first half performance.

Ayton finished the night with 18 points, -- on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor and 2-of-2 from the free throw line -- 10 rebounds and six assists. 12 of his points came in the paint. He added a steal and a block in 36 minutes of action. Perhaps more impressively is that he didn't commit a turnover and was only whistled for two fouls.

In comparison, Jordan had 11 points, 12 rebounds and five fouls. The biggest difference between the two player's performance, besides the assist total, was that Ayton posted a +17 plus/minus rating while Jordan was a minus-21.

Ayton will definitely have more games like this one this year, but also expect some struggles and inconsistent performances.

Carmelo Anthony: Off To A Bad Start

It was widely speculated that it would take Anthony a while to get used to a new role with his new team. However, it wasn't expected to be as bad as it was against New Orleans. Anthony, who had started 1,054 consecutive games, came off the bench for the first time in his career in his debut for the Rockets.

Defense was the biggest issue for the 34-year-old as he committed four fouls and registered a minus-20 plus/minus rating. Anthony also had issues shooting the ball despite getting off to a good start. The 15-year vet connected on his first two shots, including a triple on his first attempt from long distance, but he subsequently missed seven of his other eight shot attempts.

Anthony, who tried a couple long 2-pointers -- which is essentially a no-no in Mike Dantoni's offense -- was 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. He did grab four defensive boards and recorded a block in 27 minutes.

Despite not being a natural fit with the team, Anthony will be given a pretty long leash to adapt to his role. The good news is that with Anthony's scoring prowess, he is bound to have some big scoring nights playing along side of quality playmakers Chris Paul and James Harden. However, the question remains whether his defense or other intangibles will allow him to be on the floor for substantial minutes.

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