2018-19 NBA MVP Ladder: October edition
4. Anthony Davis
The New Orleans Pelicans‘ record may read 4-3 after three consecutive losses, but with Anthony Davis in the lineup, they were a perfect 4-0 until facing the Golden State Warriors on Halloween. In other words, with a healthy AD, they were running opponents out of the gym.
Early time missed and a mediocre team record hold him back as this extremely early point in the season, but a look at the monster numbers he’s putting up — 25.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.2 blocks and 2.0 steals per game — suggest he’ll very much be in the running by season’s end.
Anthony Davis (32 PTS), Nikola Mirotic (30 PTS), Julius Randle (25 PTS), and E'Twaun Moore (21 PTS) guide the @PelicansNBA to victory in Houston! #DoItBIG #KiaTipOff18 pic.twitter.com/rpPhyftiy1
— NBA (@NBA) October 18, 2018
When DeMarcus Cousins went down last season, Alvin Gentry unleashed the Brow at the 5, his most dangerous position. That’s continued early in 2018-19, with stretch-4 Nikola Mirotic and small-ball center Julius Randle serving as the perfect complements.
With Davis showing his true defensive chops at center and the big man making five of his 11 3-pointers thus far, we’re getting a glimpse at a whole new Anthony Davis who will not only be in the running for MVP, but Defensive Player of the Year as well.