5 Young NBA Stars Whose Primes Are Being Wasted On Terrible Teams

Anthony Davis, PF/C – New Orleans Pelicans

When Anthony Davis broke out as a truly elite NBA player, it seemed safe to assume the Pelicans were primed for a rapid climb up the standings. Instead, that was about as far from the case as possible.

Since Davis’ breakout sophomore season, the Pelicans have made the playoffs once. That was as the West’s eighth seed, and they were swept in the first round by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors. In each of the other three seasons since, they’ve finished 12th or worse in the West.

Things aren’t looking much better in 2016-17, as they’re still sitting near the bottom of the standings. Davis has wreaked havoc on opponents as one of the league’s top scorers and post defenders. The lack of talent around him, though, has allowed New Orleans to walk away as losers all too often.

What’s worse is it’s not like the Pelicans have a roster loaded with young prospects who just need time. New Orleans hasn’t done a great job of building a strong core of talent around Davis, which also limits his long-term potential to make a title run.

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There’s a reason there were rumors at the start of the season that Davis could be traded (via CSNNE.com). The Pelicans are wasting his prime, and don’t appear invested in helping him win big anytime soon.