Added security detail, you know, just in case. One very content superstar returned. One ticked-off superstar remained.
What are we to make of Saturday nightap main event, Kevin Durantap return to Oklahoma City to face Russell Westbrook and the new-look Thunder? Judging by the all-day party had by Thunder fans and the Mt. Everest-sized hype leading into the contest: Everything good.
And yet, those things are an increasingly endangered species.
The NBA professes to want to avoid these types of situations by clipping them at the source –- the star player leaving his former team in the first place. But if he’s gone might as well make his return the Saturday prime time game! Either way, the league wins.
Which of the two events was more interesting: Kevin Durantap decision to leave Oklahoma City to head to the Bay? Or, Durant returning to Oklahoma City, which touched off about a week of stories, interviews, exclusives and sports shows traveling to do their late-week editions at the scene of the frenzy.
The answer, of course, is both.
This was THE story of the NBA’s offseason, and, again itap THE story of the regular season. Good theater is good theater, and Saturday nightap spectacle is as good as it gets during the regular season. The league should capitalize on it.
Over the last few years, the NBA has gotten increasingly good at building the anticipation and then broadcasting the result in all of its fury for everyone to see. LeBron James’ return to Miami was played up. But Carmelo Anthony’s return to Denver was not. His first game back after forcing a trade away from the Nuggets to the Knicks was buried in a Wednesday night game in March. There was no real run-up to the event outside of each of the two cities. The NBA doesn’t miss those chances anymore.
But there won’t be any of these drama-filled nights if all of the avenues for star players is completely closed. With each new iteration of the collective bargaining agreement, a little more of the players’ ability to move freely and wherever they want is at the very least slowed by the economics making little sense to do so. And when a player does leave, the backlash is swift. Durant was labeled a “villain” right off the bat when his move was announced. Months later, however, Golden State is the must-have ticket in every NBA city and the must-see team every night their games hit national television.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
So let the free-agency door remain ajar. At least a bit. Yes, it is desirable to even out the playing field. Oklahoma City should have the best chance possible at retaining a player it drafted and helped develop into a star. The league has soured on the rich getting richer by pilfering mid- and small-market teams for their up-and-coming talent.
But if a player or two slips through the cracks and heads to a winner, then returns for an adrenaline filled return, complete with endless amounts of coverage? Itap not a bad thing. We’ll all sit back, relax and enjoy that show.
Spotlight on: The Quiet Rise of Harrison Barnes
Whatap up: As the Mavericks have gotten back to winning – 10 of their last 15 going into the weekend – forward Harrison Barnes has been right in the middle of the success, averaging 19.3 points on 48 percent shooting.
Background: It hasn’t always been easy, but Harrison Barnes is beginning to hit his stride. When the team that drafted him out of North Carolina – Golden State – got goo-goo eyes for Kevin Durant last summer, Barnes was immediately the odd man out. If the Warriors were going to deal out max money, their first target was going to be the former Oklahoma City star, not the in-house talent. But Barnes didn’t twist in the wind for long. Dallas quickly scooped him up and backed the Brink’s truck up to his bank account, signing the former high school McDonald’s All-American to a four-year $94 million deal. Before, and after, the deal, critics wondered if he was such a huge contract. Barnes was talented, to be sure. But even going back to his college days he was wildly inconsistent and didn’t have the look of a lead player. He struggled immensely with his shooting in the NBA Finals, which didn’t help his case for being viewed as a star-level talent. That perception is changing. Barnes is averaging a team-leading 20.4 points per game, which is the first time he’s averaged at least 20 points in a season since his senior year of high school in Ames, Iowa in 2009-10. His 31 points led the Mavericks to an overtime win over Utah last Thursday.
Dempsey’s take: The addition of Barnes is looking more and more like a wise investment, and, should he continue to improve the remainder of the season he ought to be in the conversation for the Most Improved award. The Mavericks needed a young player to take over the lead in nightly production from the aging Dirk Nowitzki, and Barnes is taking that baton. There are late bloomers in the league. Perhaps Barnes is one of them. Perhaps all he needed was a real chance to get the ball on a nightly basis and a coaching staff that believed he could lead a team.
Denver at Cleveland, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, ALT, 950 AM
Spotlight on Kyrie Irving: After a rare cold stretch, the Cavaliers are hot again with wins in four of their last five games, a span during which they are averaging 123.4 points per game and shooting 51.9 percent from the field. The play of point guard Kyrie Irving is a big reason why the Cavs are hot. In his past three games Irving has been on fire, averaging 26.7 points, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals. He’s scored at least 20 points in 37 of his 46 appearances this season.
