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Anthony Davis is one of the best centers in the NBA. His unique blend of shooting, defense, and a post-game has endeared him to the New Orleans Pelicans franchise and to his fellow NBA players in respect. Davis is averaging 25.4 PPG and 10.6 RPG. He is shooting career highs in field goal percentage (57%) and three point shooting (34%). Also with a 8'0 foot wingspan, nearly two blocks and a steal a game. It's no secret that Davis has been the heart and soul of the Pelicans, but recently his future in the Bayou has been put into doubt.
With Davis approaching his prime, will he stay on the Pelicans and will them to success? No one knows for sure, but he could very well be on the trade market now. Here are five key reasons why the Pelicans will trade the 6'10 superstar.
5. The Pelicans want to build around Cousins
The New Orleans Pelicans acquired DeMarcus Cousins last season when the Sacramento Kings seemingly gave him away. This season DeMarcus Cousins is averaging 26.2 PPG, 12.2 RPG, and 5.1 APG. Traditionally, Cousins is the better player of the two because he has the ability to dominate the boards and secure rebounds. Though, Davis is more athletic, shoots better, and can handle the ball like a guard. Nonetheless, Cousins has outperformed Davis this
This season, Cousins has blossomed into the best center in the NBA. He fits with the Pelicans' new offensive system, and sometimes it seems as if Davis hinders his progress. Davis is a phenomenal player, but how would the Pelicans perform if Cousins was leading the frontcourt? That's a question that can be answered if Davis gets traded. The idea may sound strange at first, but it stands to reason that the Pelicans' twin-tower offense won't yield high-end results in the modern NBA's uptempo offensive patterns. Since Cousins is playing better than Anthony Davis, the team will probably take a look at how to get him involved more at the expense of their other superstar.
4. Davis is injury prone
Anthony Davis is not a durable player. In his five seasons in the NBA, he has never played a full season. The highest amount of games he played was 75, and that was because he was playing through the pain after multiple nagging injuries. On the contrary, Cousins is playing very well and Jrue Holiday is having a career season. Moving forward, the Pelicans will have to evaluate Davis and how he can bring long term success to the Pelicans organization. If Davis suffers another crucial injury, the team will suffer as a whole, and that's definitely not what the Pelicans want if they truly hope to contend.
Obviously, Cousins is the more durable player, and he has avoided any serious injuries. The Pelicans's patience has been tried in previous years when the team's entire starting lineup was sidelined with injuries at one point. They should avoid this dilemma going forward, especially since they are currently eighth seed in the Western Conference. Trading Davis will be ideal if the Pelicans are looking for long term success and an possibly workaround if Davis takes a big injury down the road.
3. The Pelicans aren't winning
The Pelicans have a 16-16 record and are being chased by the likes of the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers for the eighth seed. That is a bit anticlimactic since the Pelicans have two of the best centers in the NBA. Obviously, something isn't working. In the blame game, one can argue that the Pelicans have achieved no success with Davis at the helm, even when the team had Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson. You could counter argue that the team wasn't healthy and it wasn't Davis' fault. In this case, that claim would be incorrect. Davis is liable. The Pelicans want to win, and Davis has never gave them that opportunity.
Even when he was healthy, the Pelicans didn't seem to fit. Davis posted MVP worthy stats, but the team never won games. Now, Gordon and Anderson are thriving in another system. Maybe it's time for Davis to do the same. To be fair, Davis probably realizes this and wants to win himself. But after five years of mediocrity, what can be done to secure post season success. Cousins and Davis are great players but the duo aren't bringing wins to the team. The most logical thing to do here is move in another direction, and the Pelicans may get to that point soon.
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2. The Pelicans need depth
Part of the reason why the Pelicans are losing is because of their depth. The Pelicans have decent role players that can give the team a boost from time to time, but it's not consistent. Even if it was, the team is in no position to compete in the Playoffs. At this state, they would get murdered on the court, especially if Davis or Anthony sits. If the organization wants to move forward, they will have to gain reliable role players and starters. For what Davis is worth, the Pelicans would get a large return of pieces that they can use to win now.
It's a smart strategy, but let's step back and analyze the situation a bit more. Davis is a point guard in a power forward's body. He can move like a 6'3 point guard, shoot like a small forward, and post up like a center. He's an amazing player in the wrong system, and teams are probably salivating at the different ways they can use him. If the Pelicans engage in trading him, they could afford to bargain and get a quality return for their star power forward. What's not to like?
1. His comments showed dissatisfaction
Every player in the NBA has experienced some form of trade rumor. It's a part of the game, and players ignore them for the most part. However, Davis' response to his constant trade rumors were surprising. It shows that he doesn't even trust his team. He does express that he loves New Orleans and wants to win there, but he sorts of throws the management under the bus saying that he doesn't know what will happen. That's an insult to management, and it's unprofessional. Players are supposed to ignore trade rumors, and even if they comment, the player should be cordial.
Davis, on the other hand, commented as if he would be traded the next day. His response was so honest that it probably even shocked the team management. While the front office probably turned a blind eye to Davis comments, they should be worried. Actually, they probably should shop him. Davis said that he wants to win and do it in New Orleans. With all of the signs that are brewing, one can only wonder if he will be traded soon or not.
