Pelicans’ Anthony Davis says there’s still plenty to learn at 22
NEW ORLEANS – Anthony Davis hasn’t reached age 22, yet it’s hard to find a player in the game who doesn’t view the third-year Pelicans power forward as a budding superstar.
Teammates say the youthful energy that fuels Davis’ relentless, end-to-end game is part of what has made him so good, so soon. At the same time, they figure the two-time All-Star will only improve as he matures.
“He can run all day – jump all day, too, obviously,” said guard Norris Cole, who jokes that Davis is “definitely not a human being.”
“His talent level is off the charts and he can still get better,” Cole added. “That’s the scary part.”
By the time Davis played his last game as a 21-year-old Tuesday night – just his 184th NBA contest – he’d piled up 3,558 points, 1,740 rebounds and 450 blocked shots.
Davis isn’t the first in NBA history to reach 3,500 points, 1,700 rebounds and 450 blocks at such an early age, but there have been only two others: Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard.
“He wants to be the best and you have to applaud that,” Pelicans coach Monty Williams said after watching Davis put in extra work after practice this week. “There’s so much left in his game to unwrap.”
Davis’ play is the main reason the Pelicans (36-29) will hold the Western Conference’s final playoff spot at least until today, when they resume play against Denver after four days off.
“It’s fun because now every game matters,” said Davis, a former Kentucky star who has won a college national title, an Olympic gold medal and a FIBA World Cup, but has yet to experience the NBA playoffs. “Now you’re like, ‘Ah, this is a big game. We’ve got to come out here and perform.’ ”
Performing hasn’t been an issue for Davis, who averages team highs of 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.
Three times this season, Davis has finished with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and a shooting percentage of 65 percent, something no other player – of any age – has done this season. He has also nearly reached double-digit blocks in a game several times, maxing out at nine.
“I’ve done quite a few things, but I think I’m nowhere near where I want to be,” Davis said. “I have a lot to learn about the game, about myself.”
Davis has gotten bigger and stronger as a pro, having added more than 20 pounds to the slender 6-foot-10, 220-pound frame with which he entered the NBA.
He has also refined his game, most notably in the way he reads defenses, finds lanes to the hoop and routinely knocks down jump shots from as far as 20 feet.
“He’s got a very unusual skill set for a guy his size,” said Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau, who also coached Davis on Team USA last summer. “His speed, quickness and his touch, along with that length – he’s so hard to guard. … And he’s very, very unselfish. He plays for the team. He plays to win. He’s a superstar.”
Davis hopes he can serve as an example that putting the team first and piling up gaudy stats don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
“You get your teammates involved, it will always come back to you, no matter what,” Davis said. “The team will help you to reach your personal goals.”