New Orleans Pelicans: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season
By Simon Smith
2. Anthony Davis finishes top three in MVP voting
About to enter his sixth season in the league, the time is now for Davis to formally cement himself among the absolute elite in the league.
Named to the All-NBA First Team for the second time, Davis averaged 28.0 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game last season. But with the Pelicans winning just 34 games, Davis’ stellar season somewhat flew under the radar given the performances of some of the elite teams in the Western Conference.
However, his influence on the Pelicans’ overall performance cannot be overlooked. Last season, the Pelicans were 7.6 points per 100 possessions worse off defensively when Davis was off the court. At 6’10” and with the ability to cover a variety of player types, Davis’ presence has significant, as indicated with his selection to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Davis’ versatility on the defensive end can be illustrated in a number of ways. Firstly, he was the only player in the league last season to average at least 2.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. Furthermore, he was tied for first among all centers in contesting 3-pointers, averaging 3.9 contests per game.
Offensively, Davis’ 28.0 points per game ranked fourth in the league, where his versatility once again came to the forefront. But now with Cousins primarily manning the 5-spot, the only real area of weakness for Davis is his 3-point accuracy. Last season, Davis converted at a 29.9 percent clip from long range.
However, with a seemingly improved supporting cast, Davis may not be required to fire them up from long range, and instead continue to excel in the areas in which he knows best, namely close to the rim and the mid-range game.
Speaking of his MVP chances, Davis last season finished ninth overall in voting. However, several of the players voted ahead of him are likely to take a hit in their chances this season.
MVP Russell Westbrook has been joined in Oklahoma City by a pair of All-Stars in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. James Harden, who finished second behind Westbrook, has a new backcourt partner in All-Star point guard Chris Paul. Furthermore, Isaiah Thomas, who finished fifth in voting, is likely to be sidelined until at least January due to injury, therefore ruling him out of the race.
As a result, Davis’ chances of rising up the leaderboard for MVP certainly won’t be harmed by these various moves made over the summer.