Expectations are high in New Orleans, mostly thanks of one man: Anthony Davis, or the “The Brow” as he’ known as In the NBA. Ever since Davis was taken number 1 in the 2012 NBA draft, fans in New Orleans have been looking to a brighter future, and I see that future arriving sooner rather than later.
The season so far.
This season so far has shown only positives for Anthony Davis and his Pelicans. The big man has been averaging 24.9 PPG and 12.9 rebounds per game, which are MVP candidate stats, but Davis shouldn’t get too excited, as winning should be his first priority for what is an ever improving Pelicans team. Davis is quickly proving everybody that said he would be dominant this year right, mostly by dominating night in night out. Davis is proving he can matchup against the best in the business and come out on top. This could be the year in which the Pelicans take the big step and get playoff basketball, and Davis will be key to this becoming a reality. The Pelicans are currently 4-3 , and seeing as they have already played LeBron’s Cavaliers, Tony Parker’s Spurs and Dirk’s Mavericks, all teams that are considered contenders, this is a respectable record.
What makes Davis so good?
Anthony Davis is unbelievably multi-talented; he can post up, even against the best in the West, he can dunk on everybody and he can shoot from mid-range, a shot he has developed well since entering the league two seasons ago. But what makes Davis so good in my opinion has been his ability to become the leader for the Pelicans on and off the court. Anthony Davis physical gifts are obvious, but there is more to him than is visible to the naked eye, Davis has a great sense of humor, having seen him in a string of Footlocker ads with fellow NBA star James Harden. Davis has been described as a good teammate on more than one occasion.
One special comment made about Anthony Davis wasn’t by a teammate but by a conference rival in the shape of Kobe Bryant, Bryant said “He’s an athletic Pau Gasol. That’s the best way I can put it. He can be one of the greatest power forwards who has ever played”. High praise indeed from the hard to impress Kobe Bryant.
Is Davis just another Patrick Ewing?
If you’re wondering what the question above means, then let me explain. Patrick Ewing as most now was a supremely talented player and athlete, who was also highly rated and coveted by many teams coming out of college. But for all of Ewing’s talents many see him as a player who never got that much needed ring, because he played on a team that could never get over the hump, mostly this was because of the Michael Jordan’s Bulls, then followed by Reggie Miller, meaning Ewing never got his ring. On the long-term,this has to be the biggest fear for Anthony Davis, a player who will most likely reach 10 all-star appearances and even win the MVP award at some point in his career, if he doesn’t win it this year of course.
Very few have doubted Anthony Davis’ ability and his potential to become a superstar, but what people have criticized is Davis supporting cast in New Orleans, many lacking faith in the likes of Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon. Inconsistency is often the word used. I personally disagree with this- Pelicans coach Monty Williams has put a solid unit around what everybody knows is his star player in Anthony Davis. The Pelicans will achieve more than people believe they will this year.
Why is he the Baddest in the West?
There are some great big men in the western conference, the likes of Tim Duncan, Marc Gasol, Demarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard and many more, but Davis still stands out among this huge pile of talent. Anthony Davis is one of my favorite players to watch in the whole of the NBA, and in my opinion what makes a player truly great is entertainment value, and Davis will give you just that, him being unpredictable makes him fun to watch, one minute he could be posterizing a fellow NBA player and the next he can pull up from mid-range. He truly is a player who I love to watch. This makes him the Baddest man in the whole wide west.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on twitter – @JamesJukes2. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest in sports injury news, see our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
