New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis Impressive In Preseason
By Emily Gruver
Many would say Anthony Davis had a solid rookie year. He put up some good numbers and some nice performances and had some games in which he showed potential. To others, it might have been a somewhat disappointing season. For a No. 1 overall draft pick, there are definitely high expectations and you can definitely argue that Anthony Davis did not fully reach those expectations. But this year looks different for the emerging star.
Anthony Davis has shown his true potential this preseason, leading the New Orleans Pelicans to an undefeated 4-0 record thus far. His consistency has been outstanding and with the pieces surrounding him, his potential is endless.
(NBA.com photo)
2012-13 Regular Season Stats:
Anthony Davis: 64 GP, 28.8 MPG, .516 FG%, .751 FT%, 1 8.2 RPG, 1 APG, 1.8 BLKPG, 1.2 STLPG, 13.5 PPG
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Houston Rockets W 116-115
Anthony Davis: 27 MIN, 9/16 FGM-A, 3/5 FTM-A, 3 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 21 PTS
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Dallas Mavericks W 94-92
Anthony Davis: 26 MIN, 11/19 FGM-A, 3/3 FTM-A, 7 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 25 PTS
In the first quarter, Davis got off to a pretty solid start, as he was aggressive with scoring. Overall, he was a bit inconsistent.
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Orlando Magic W 99-95
Anthony Davis: 31 MIN, 9/20 FGM-A, 11/11 FTM-A, 9 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 4 BLK, 29 PTS
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Atlanta Hawks W 105-73
Anthony Davis: 27 MIN, 9/14 FGM-A, 5/6 FTM-A, 9 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 23 PTS
The stats say it all. Davis has averaged 24.5 points per game this preseason so far. That’s 98 points in four games and at least 21 points in each game. Davis is filling the stat sheet. Not only is he scoring in double-digits, but he is doing it both consistently and efficiently. Same goes with his rebounding and blocking. Davis is attacking the rim and being aggressive and that’s something I like to see.
A few observations I noticed was that first of all, Davis struggled to knock down his jumpers. He was able to score in the paint, make layups, and dunks, but he just could not consistently make his jumpers. Hopefully that is something that can be fixed quickly by the time the regular season arrives. Next, I noticed that he truly attacked the rim and was very aggressive, which is something very important. Another thing I observed was that a majority of Davis’ baskets came off of Jrue Holiday or Austin Rivers assists. What does that mean? Well, it means that the players around Davis are going to make a huge impact on his scoring.
Anthony Davis is poised for both a breakout, and exciting, season.
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