The Pelicans Keys to Their Playoff Push
By Mike Delayo
Dec 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans defeated the Jazz 119-111. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
1. Anthony Davis MUST Maintain High Level of Play
The New Orleans Pelicans will continue live and die by the performance of Anthony Davis. Even though his teammates can Dante Cunningham and the Possibly Deep Pelicans” href=”https://bigeasybeliever.com/2014/12/19/dante-cunningham-possibly-deep-pelicans/” target=”_blank”>sometimes carry the load, the success of the franchise lies in his hands.
As the season has progressed, Davis’ gaudy numbers have quickly evolved from small sample size inflation to a nightly expectation. He currently ranks fourth in the league in points per game (24.79) while shooting 57.9% from the field, which leads the top 24 scorers in the league. He also leads the league in blocks (2.9 per game), ranks 10th in steals (1.8) and is on pace to break Wilt Chamberlain‘s 50 year old record for single season efficiency rating of 31.82 with his astounding 33.46
The season is passing the one-third completion mark, and Davis continues to consistently do a little bit of everything for the Pelicans. And if this team has any hopes of coming near the postseason, he must continue to carry the load.
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