At some point, whether you liked him or not in 2012, you have sit back and acknowledge what Anthony Davis is doing. Then, you have to do more than just acknowledge it. You have to embrace it, because we may never see it again.
There hasn’t been a more polarizing 21-year-old in this league since LeBron James. Before the summer even finished, everyone knew it was coming. Everyone was well aware of the monster that would come to life, destroy cities, make opponents weep, and take over NBA stardom.
During their run to the 2014 FIBA Gold Medal, Davis led the frontcourt with his deranged attack in both the halfcourt and the fastbreak style of play. His defensive attitudes raised a great deal of eyebrows (there’s a pun) around the league, because he was playing with so much poise on that end.
Although Davis had led the league in blocks during his sophomore season, nobody really focused on the details of his defensive efforts. Of course, that was because New Orleans suffered a massive amount of injuries, and only finished with 34 wins — 15 short of what they needed to reach the postseason.
This season, Davis hasn’t been on planet Earth. Mutants from The Hills Have Eyes must have abducted Davis from the streets of Mardi Gras and transformed him into a different creature. The guy wearing No. 23 for an unlucky lottery team has been the greatest talent in the NBA for the last month, and it hasn’t even been close. If you think back to the most prolific changes in terms of improving from season to season, there haven’t been a lot of discrepancies larger than what we’ve seen from 2013 Davis to 2014 Davis.
Even for a sophomore, his PER (on a losing team) was 26.5, which was still fourth overall in the league. It sort of went unnoticed, because there wasn’t a ton of hype building him up before the 2013-14 season.
Flash forward one year later, and we’re already in awe of all parts of his arsenal just 17 games into the season. Perhaps that’s because he’s still the only player in the league with a PER over 30. With the way advanced statistics work in today’s game, usually unbelievable numbers will regress as the season continues.
Davis doesn’t fit the “usual.”
For the first time in his career, he’s not categorized with anyone else. His PER is still standing at 33.75, which is head and shoulders above Stephen Curry’s 28.22.
To understand how special of a year we may be in store for, realize that no other player in NBA history has ever recorded a season-long PER of 33+ during their third year (minimum 20 games). In fact, there’s only been one player in history to have a PER over 31 for a whole season (in his third year). His name was Wilt Chamberlain, who finished the 1961-62 year with a PER of 31.7.
As you should always mention when you bring up historical figures from the 1960’s, it’s essential that the level of competition is factored in. If Davis finishes this season with a PER over 31.0 — which I fully believe he’s going to — it’s markedly better than Chamberlain’s season. Davis is playing in the 2014-15 Western Conference, which is by far the toughest conference the NBA has ever seen. He’s also 6’10”, shorter than Chamberlain and MUCH closer to the average height for his position than Chamberlain was.
Also, if you want to compare the levels of talent, go right ahead. Chamberlain didn’t play against LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or the generation of today’s athletes. That’s not to disrespect the era that came before ours and the guys that set the standard for what the NBA should be, but the disparity in aggression and athleticism of today’s players is huge.
His complete game hasn’t just been off the charts this season offensively and defensively … it’s been unprecedented.
Of all players in NBA history, how many have averaged at least 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game in their third season?
None. Zero.
There could be an exception this year, as that’s exactly what Davis is looking at in the record books. Nobody has ever been such a force just one year after their sophomore season.
Nonetheless, the most impressive and breathtaking storyline behind Davis’ performance is not the fact of him being in his third year. It’s his mind-blowing age that throws you off your chair.
Davis doesn’t even turn 22 years old until March 2015, making him 21 for nearly all of this season. Nothing is scarier on Earth than realizing you’re the exact same age as a godzilla running around the NBA killing everything in his way. Personally, I’ll be 21 around the same time, which just leaves some people speechless.
If you’re around the age group of 21-23 at this juncture, just stop for a second to imagine if you could be out there making NBA players look like middle schoolers. It’s what Davis is doing at just 21 years old, which is the lost thought during this MVP destruction.
If you consider the top 10 players in current PER rankings, the average age just leaves you out of breath from laughing. Only taking into account the players that get around 20 minutes per game, the average age of the top 9 in PER is 27.6 years old. The person that’s No. 1 (Davis), is six years younger than the average. It’s headlined by guys such as Curry (26), DeMarcus Cousins (24), Chris Paul (29), Dwyane Wade (32), and LeBron James (29).
With less experience, being someone that had an up-and-down rookie year, Davis doesn’t care if he’s “not supposed” to be this good already. He is, and this entire league has to live in the sorrow.
At age 21, no other player in history has averaged 25+ points, secured a PER of 33+, and only had a Usage Rating of 24. Davis is certainly doing it now, and that’s another amazing part of his season. To only have a Usage Rating of 24.9 is ungodly with how much production he’s putting in on the offensive side. It ranks him just 34th overall in Usage Rating this season, behind notables such as Dirk Nowitzki (25.0), LaMarcus Aldridge (26.3), and Blake Griffin (28.8).
To put it into perspective, Kobe Bryant leads the league in Usage Rating at 34.6, meaning he “uses” 34.6 possessions per 40 minutes. It really is a helpful metric used to determine how much a player is relied on during offensive trips up the floor.
There are just entirely too many “firsts” Davis is going to achieve this year. Above all the rest, there are two that stand out appreciably. If Davis is destined to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award, he would easily be the youngest MVP in league history.
He would surpass Derrick Rose, who won the award at age 22.5. Rose’s birthday is in October, meaning he was mid-way through 22 when he was named MVP. Davis, on the other hand, wouldn’t even be 22.1 years old. We could be looking at the most successful 21-year-old to ever live in the sport.
However, for him to achieve the season MVP, it may take another “first.” It will likely depend on New Orleans making their first playoff berth since the 2010-11 season, when they had Chris Paul and David West running the show. For that to happen, Davis needs much more than just himself to contend in the West.
At the end of the day, Davis is storming through the league like a wrecking ball. Instead of Miley Cyrus swinging on the chain, it’s the uni-brow. He wants a seat at the MVP table. More importantly, he wants to eat.
**All statistical support credited to Basketball-Reference**