There’s no debate who the NBA’s best player is – it’s LeBron James. There is little to no debate for the second-best player either – it’s Kevin Durant. However, the debate for who comes next is open. Is it Chris Paul? James Harden? Blake Griffin? In the early NBA season, the answer appears to be Pelicans forward Anthony Davis.
After a year at Kentucky when he led the Wildcats to a national championship, Davis was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets with the first pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Following a solid rookie season, Davis was named an All-Star in his second season, averaging 20.8 points per game. In his third season, Davis has taken his game to the next level, asserting himself as an elite NBA player.
His early season statistics are incredible. Davis is currently among the league leaders with 25.5 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Davis is also top-five in the NBA in blocks and steals. No other player in the league ranks in the top thirty in all four of those statistical categories. To go along with the eye-popping numbers he has put up, Davis currently has a 36.16 Player Efficiency Rating this season, higher than any single-season rating Michael Jordan ever had in his career.
Despite all the individual success Anthony Davis has had this year, his most impressive feat this season is single-handedly leading the Pelicans to a 6-4 start, the same record as the defending champions San Antonio Spurs. The improvement he has shown in this season started with his play over the summer. Davis shined on the international stage, leading Team USA to gold in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. The confidence from his strong performance in that tournament has carried over to the beginning of the NBA season.
The best part about Anthony Davis? He is only 21 years old. As well as he has played, Davis still has time to mature and improve. Three years ago, Derrick Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history at 22 years old. While it’s certainly too early to start handing out awards, Davis has begun a strong campaign to steal that title from Rose this season. When Davis entered the league in 2012, it was expected that he would eventually evolve into a star player, but hardly anyone predicted him to do so this quickly. Instead of viewing Davis as the future of the NBA, fans across the league are beginning to realize Davis’ time is now.
