April 18, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks the basketball past Golden State Warriors guard Andre Iguodala (9) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Pelicans 106-99. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
1. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
6’10” 253 lbs, 22-years-old
2014-2015 Stats: 24.4 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.9 bpg, 53% FG, 79% FT, 11% 3PT, 30.8 PER
Could this really have ended up anywhere else? The Brow was phenomenal last season and if team success didn’t factor in so heavily in the MVP vote, he could have stood a chance to win it last season. Just look at his stat line…it’s absurd. Especially when you consider he is just 22-years-old.
His PER of 30.8 was 11th best of all time, behind only a couple of guys named Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Wilt Chamberlain. Not bad company, eh?
He was arguably the best player in the NBA last season and nothing appears to effect that going into the 2015-16 season. He has been improving his outside jump shot and added 12 lbs. of muscle to his frame. He plans on taking more 3’s and that is something that just seems unfair if he does so efficiently.
Alvin Gentry told Anthony Davis, "I want you to continue to work and expand your range. You should be a good corner three-point shooter."
— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) June 23, 2015
If he excels at that…I’m not sure how teams will be able to stop the big man. Davis is already a transcendent talent primed for perennial MVP contention, and the addition of a reliable 3-point shot to his game would lead to a league-wide fear and widespread panic.
“I predict he (Davis) will probably be a 40 percent three-point shooter by the time his career is over. If you add that to his game, I don’t know what you do.” Stephen Curry
He has the skills of a guard both offensively and defensively and his ultimate curse is the roster he plays on. While he and the Pelicans will thrive under new coach Alvin Gentry, that team has a low ceiling in the Western Conference for now.
It’s hard to expect him to improve upon last season, but all indications show that he will. As he progresses, he could very well become the face of the NBA and the face of the new era of big man in the NBA.
Any team would give up anything to get this young man on their team, and rightfully so. He is hands down the ultimate building block and as his offensive game develops he could be the two-way player in the NBA. His shot blocking prowess is great, but what makes it even better is that he is not a liability in defending the pick and roll due to his agility.
His ceiling and talent are off the charts and, now with a seasoned coach, his game could explode this season. Like I said, No. 1 could not have been anyone else.