Kevin Durant's comeback campaign starts with epic preseason showing

Never mind the impending free-agency bonanza surrounding the biggest name to hit the market since LeBron James in 2010.

Never mind the hoopla, the rumors, the "what ifs" about the Oklahoma City Thunder's future, and the think pieces lending insight into Durant's mindset.

Never mind all of that, because what comes first - and what's more important - is Kevin Durant's comeback campaign. He's pissed, he's healthy, he's coming into his prime, and he's about to reclaim his throne atop the NBA.

The Thunder wrapped up their preseason with a dominant 113-102 showing against the upstart Utah Jazz on Tuesday. Durant's performance was so inspiring that Jazz head coach Quin Snyder raised him and the Thunder as the golden standard in a postgame speech to his young players. The message was clear: You haven't reached Durant's level yet, nowhere close.

This is Durant's level: The 2014 MVP scored 29 points in 29 minutes and shot a blistering 11-of-15 from the floor, including 4-of-5 from deep, against the Jazz. That came on the heels of a 23-point outing against the Denver Nuggets last Sunday, where Durant hit 9-of-14 from the floor.

With Tuesday's win, Durant wrapped up preseason with per-36 minute averages of 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks on 59.3 percent shooting from the field and 57.1 percent from deep.

Two things stand out about Durant's performance.

First and foremost, he looks to be fully healthy after battling a broken foot last season. He's active on defense, he's cutting hard on offense, and he's creating separation with ease. A fully-healthy Durant is the first step in the Thunder's push to reclaim their throne atop the Western Conference.

Second, Durant is scoring with ease. Sure, it's only preseason, but Durant is laying waste to the opposing team's best defenders.

Step-backs, spot-ups, long-legged drives to the hoop, finishing alley-oops, post-ups, pull-up threes - it's all there for Durant, and defenders can barely make a dent. He's taking bigger defenders off the dribble, and he's shooting over smaller wings. Either way, the result is the same - no one can stop him from scoring.

His moves are silky, his defenders are helpless, his demeanor is stoic, and his focus is evident. There's no mistaking it: Durant is back.

It'll take more than a little preseason success to excite Durant. He has much bigger fish to fry, and his eyes are firmly fixed on the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"We just have to keep building," Durant said following Tuesday's game. "It's preseason against a really good defensive team. It's a step in the right direction but we have a long way to go."

Here's another step in the right direction: The cold-blooded killer that led the league in points scored for five straight seasons is back, and dropping 52 points in 60 minutes is only the beginning of his long-awaited comeback campaign.