Can Anthony Davis win the MVP award this season?

Will Anthony Davis raise his game and be considered one of the favorites to win the MVP award in 2017-18?

For the New Orleans Pelicans this season, they have laid all the chips on the table.

Acquiring DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings via trade was the greatest move this franchise has ever made.  It was also the move that made Anthony Davis realize that there aren’t any excuses anymore.

The offseason additions of Rajon Rondo, Ian Clark and Tony Allen also solidified that notion.

But this season will also be bringing a lot of questions about these Pelicans.

Can this team jell together when the season starts? Are they good enough to make the playoffs? Can they be a top seed in the Western Conference?

But one question might trump them all. Can Anthony Davis win the MVP award this upcoming season?

It honestly all depends on how he’s featured in the team’s schemes, but there are several different obstacles that are needed for Davis to move past in order to win the MVP award.

Focal point of the team

Anthony Davis must be the focal point of the team. He has a higher ceiling and potential than DeMarcus Cousins.

Offensive schemes must run through the hands of Davis. His ball-handling skills should be in the blueprint on how this team operates this season. He’s already been the anchor of their defensive schemes the last few seasons, so it’s time he’s a lot more prominent on the offensive end.

But many people will say he averaged 28 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game last season. Those numbers give the impression that he’s doing everything he can for the team.

Well, here’s another specific stat: He only averaged 2.1 assists per game last season.

Padding up your stats with big numbers will not earn you the recognition of being one of the elite players in the NBA. Elevating your team by making the other players around you better is what matters in the long run.

DeMarcus Cousins will get his numbers, but the rest of the team won’t.

Davis will need to use his skill-set to find open shooters or cutting scorers easy baskets. He’ll also need to dramatically improve his 3-point shooting after converting 29.9 percent of his long range attempts last year.

If he can correct those two flaws — his playmaking and outside shooting — he’s one step closer to getting some first place MVP votes.

Seeding and playoffs

The Brow has only taken the Pelicans to the playoffs just once in the 2014-15 season as the eighth seed. He’ll need to vault his team past 45 wins and nab a top-five seed just to be in the discussion.

Superstars like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are the early favorites to win the award this season. All four men are in prime positions to lead their teams to the top of their respective conferences. 

They may be among the top 10 players in the league for this season, but so will their teams as well.

Anthony Davis is a top 10 player and the best power forward in the NBA. His team will need to match that stature in the Western Conference, or else no media voter will give any vote to the Brow.

Closing out games

Winning more than 45 games and nabbing a top-five seed in the Western Conference won’t be enough. Anthony Davis will need to close out those games either on the offensive or defensive end.

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According to the website NBA Miner, Anthony Davis was the 15th-best clutch performer in the league last season.

With less than five minutes remaining, The Brow shot 42 percent from the field and dropped 128 points in the 75 games he played in. This was during the fourth quarter or overtime, while the game was within 5 points.

He’ll need to amp up his overall production this season, especially in the prime-time nationally televised games. If Anthony Davis can close out a big game over one of the top teams in the league like Houston, San Antonio and Golden State, he’ll be in the forefront of the MVP discussions.

It doesn’t necessarily need to be taking a big shot to win a game, one big defensive steal or block can seal the deal.

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Anthony Davis at the moment is considered one of the elite players in the NBA. But can he make the jump to being the next MVP this upcoming season?