Kevin Durant Expects Anthony Davis to Win 2016 NBA Scoring Title

After Anthony Davis dropped 50 points in the season opener, Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant believes the New Orleans Pelicans power forward/center will lead the NBA in scoring this season. 

"[Davis is] probably going to lead the league in scoring this year easily ... 50 for him is a good game, and now [he’s like] move it to the next one," Durant said, per ESPN.com's Chris Haynes. "It’s kind of a customary night for him, so we’ve got to be prepared tonight.”

Durant was discussing the Pelicans prior to their meeting on Friday night at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Davis opened the season with 50 points, 16 rebounds, seven steals, five assists and four blocks in a game the Pelicans lost to the Denver Nuggets. 

In addition to praising Davis' potential as a scorer, Durant also talked about what makes him such a difficult defensive assignment.

“It’s hard to defend him,” Durant said. “You can’t. His first step is probably the quickest I’ve seen in a while at his position. He’s long, he can shoot it, he can dribble it, he can shoot the three—so he’s doing just about everything out there on the court.” 

Per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info), no player in NBA history has ever posted a stat line like the one Davis had Wednesday:

The key for Davis has always been staying healthy. He finished fifth in NBA MVP voting two seasons ago despite missing 14 games, when he averaged 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and 2.2 assists per game. 

Last year, Davis was more erratic despite averaging 24.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game before he was shut down in March with knee and shoulder injuries. 

Davis' performance against the Nuggets was hardly an unusual feat for him because there seems to be no limit to his ceiling. The Pelicans still have to build a team around him to make a serious playoff push, but they will always be must-see television because of his unique all-around skills.