His jump shot was flat and clunky. His reactions were slow. He even missed five of his nine attempts from the foul line, uncharacteristic for a career 79-percent shooter.
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The Pelicans were bad as a team and were severely undermanned due to myriad injuries, but they were also outscored by 16 points when Davis was on the floor.
The 6-foot-10 Davis, who averaged 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game last season, has gained about 15 pounds of muscle, and now weighs about 253 pounds, which should make him stronger inside. “It is tough when nobody is making shots, because they don’t really have to guard their man. We will put tonight behind us”.
“People have short memories, and that is all right”, Gentry said.
Yet the expectations for the New Orleans Pelicans continue to grow.
The first half was just “Golden State: the Sequel” as far as being competitive goes, but the second half brought back a few of the excitement and warmth that came with the offseason hype around new head coach Allen Gentry and a revamped Anthony Davis. By comparison, Kendrick Perkins was a flawless 5 for 5 on the night. It’s hard to know if it was rust from inactivity or the continued decline of a player racked by his own set of aches and pains.
Setups like that one were common.
Only this time, Gentry went to the visiting locker room. He hasn’t played since the preseason opener at Indiana on October 3.
The Warriors are supposed to win, yet if Anthony Davis and company are able to flip the script it will send a message to the rest of the Western Conference that a perennial power grows in the south and any conversation involving the best teams must involve New Orleans.
From there, it was all downhill. Golden State won in overtime en route to the series sweep and ensuing league title. New Orleans needs passing and defense far more than his volume scoring ways, despite what recent final box scores may lead you to believe.
Yet the Pelicans aren’t putting a number on where they expect to be, nor are they placing an emphasis on seeding. Meanwhile, Gentry noted, Davis’ new muscle mass “doesn’t slow him down at all….” None of those players, however, have shown the type of post chops that Davis and Cousins, arguably top-10 players in the entire league, have proven to this point.
The Brow wasn’t much better on the other end of the floor, either. This was a big step up from his 4-of-20 from last night against last year’s best defense. Anthony Davis broke into superstardom past year (earning his first All-Star start and a first-team All National Basketball Association selection) but only now carries the weight of expectations.
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But none of those traits were on display against the Warriors. Davis spent most of the night aimlessly gliding around the floor. Remember, the award is for the “Most Valuable Player”, and no one means more to their team than Davis does to the Pelicans. Players have said they like the fact that he has simplified the scheme in an effort to improve communication, minimize confusion and allow players to emphasize using their athleticism and technique to execute close-outs and rotations. Considering he’s still just 23 years old, that isn’t something that should worry the Pelicans. Thursday night was a minor setback, but here’s no reason to begin sounding any alarms.
