Anthony Davis is going to be the best player in the league one day. Unless somebody comes out of nowhere, it is going to be time to bow down to Brow. While Davis won’t be the best player in the league this year, he will win MVP honors.
Anthony Davis winning the MVP next year? You probably think I am out of my mind. But this really isn’t that farfetched. Derrick Rose won it when he was only 22 years old. Davis will turn 22 this year, and he’s ready to dominate. If Davis and the Pelicans can win around 50 games next year and make the playoffs, Davis is almost a lock.
All summer, we have heard tidbits from different people talking about how Davis looks bigger, stronger, and more skilled than ever before. He drew rave reviews from everyone who watched the FIBA World Cup because, to put it simply, he was the most important player on the team. Kyrie Irving may have won the MVP, but Davis made the U.S. team go.
In order for Davis to win the MVP, two things need to happen.
1. Davis develops the three-point shot.
2. The Pelicans make the playoffs.
Anthony Davis didn’t make (or take, for that matter) any 3-pointers during the FIBA World Cup, but he has been working on his range. If he can develop that shot, he becomes almost impossible to guard. Anthony Davis already has some of the best handles for a big man in the game, and he’ll become almost unstoppabel by making his defender check him all the way out to the three point line. With the added range, a refined post game, and good ball handling skills, the Brow will be the best offensive power forward in the game.
Now, the moment you all have been waiting for, the obligatory Anthony Davis YouTube video where he catches impossible lobs, shoots midrange jumpers, and blocks everything that comes within a 10-foot radius. Davis has such soft hands that it is astonishing really. He has incredible touch for a big man, something that is vastly underrated about him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXT5PXEDF6c
Davis needs to be an absolute, bonafide, MVP caliber player this year. In a perfect world for Pelicans fans, Davis would average 25 points, 13 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. I know what you are thinking, this isn’t Shaq, it’s not Kareem, and it’s definitely not Hakeem. I agree with you wholeheartedly, he is nowhere near their levels (right now), but neither is his competition. The league is devoid of centers that could truly impact the game in the way they did. Davis is possibly one of the two most versatile forwards in the league right now. With him adding weight to his frame, he has become even more deadly.
In order for Davis to win the MVP, the Pelicans must make the playoffs. For this to happen, they must avoid the injury bug that plagued them last year. Last year, nearly all of the Pelicans starting five missed significant time . Eric Gordon played 64 games last season, and that was the most he has played in years. Jrue Holliday suffered a stress fracture, and could only play 34 games. Ryan Anderson suffered a neck injury and played a measly 22 games. Finally, Davis himself only played 67 games. These injuries not only effected the on court performance by having missing players, but it also affected the team even when they were healthy. Chemistry for a young team is vital. Building chemistry is one of the hardest things to do while rebuilding. The best way to build chemistry is to play, as simple as that sounds. There is something about finding a guy for a lob in transition that really makes players want to play with each other. The Pelicans really need to build this type of team, if they can develop great chemistry, they will be scary. The only way to build this chemisty is to play together.
The team must also get better production out of their bench. The Pelicans bench now includes Brian Roberts, Austin Rivers, Anthony Morrow, Al-Farouq Aminu, Darius Miller, Luke Babbit, Alexis Ajinca, Melvin Ely, and Jeff Withey. If you know who three of those guys are without being a New Orleans fan, welcome to the club of being obsessed with sports. Most teams have a player capable of putting up anywhere from 13-18 points per night off the bench. One player who could fit the mold of instant impact scorer off the bench would be Austin Rivers. Heralded for his scoring in high school and college, the former #1 overall recruit has massively disappointed in his first few years in the league. Rivers wasn’t invited to Summer League so perhaps that means that the team feels he is ready for a big year. The best thing this bench has going for him is that Ryan Anderson will be joining the bunch, with the recent acquisition of Omer Asik. Anderson was averaging nearly 20 points a game last year and he will be very welcome on the bench. A step forward from Rivers, and scoring from Anderson can make the Pelicans a 50 win team.
I truly think that Anthony Davis will win the MVP this year. The usual culprits, Kevin Durant and LeBron James, will be there as always, but Brow will have the edge. LeBron James is playing with a new super team. I know he has before but I think James will do everything in his power to make his new teammates successful and his scoring numbers will take a dip. Durant will be a tough foe but with a healthy Russ Westbrook back, Durant won’t have to score as much and his numbers will be human again. If Davis can lead his team to the playoffs, he will have plenty of votes for NBA MVP.
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