New Orleans Pelicans: Will Anthony Davis be an All-Star?

The New Orleans Pelicans and Anthony Davis wait patiently to see if the young superstar will make the cut for the NBA Western Conference All-Star team.

Last year, Anthony Davis was a starter in the NBA All-Star Game. Now, the New Orleans Pelicans will have to wait to see if the star power forward will even make the 12-man roster this season. This season has been a rocky one for Anthony Davis, as the expectations of not just him, but the team as a whole have skyrocketed after last year’s playoff appearance. With the added pressure and another season of injuries to both him and the team, the All-Star game could be in doubt for AD.

While the wait is agonizing, the stats for Davis are still quite strong. Anthony is averaging 23.3 points per game this season, only one less than last year when he was voted a starter. His rebounding numbers are actually improved, while his assists, blocks and steals have each taken a minor fall, each by less than one half per game. With 2.5 blocks per game and the other numbers still solid, it may be curious to Pelicans fans why AD took such a dark turn in the All-Star voting this time around.

Last year, AD was voted to start as the forward/center for the Western Conference. This time around, Davis had to compete with small forwards, power forwards and centers alike for three frontcourt positions. Those positions went to Kobe Bryant, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant. The final seven spots are decided by coaches who, with Steve Kerr as the coach of the Western Conference team, will probably leave at least two reserve spots open for Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.

This means AD is competing for one of five spots against every other Western Conference player not on the team yet. When looking at the West, it is clear why there’s doubt in regards to Davis’ hopes for another All-Star appearance. Chris Paul and James Harden have to be considered “sure in’s” for the Western Conference team due to their performances on high ranking West teams. With this possibly being Tim Duncan‘s last season in the NBA, he will also likely get a spot on the team this year as well. That leaves two spots between AD and the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, DeMarcus Cousins, Blake Griffin, Manu Ginobili, Gordon Hayward, Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge.

This is where it all becomes about who the person selecting the team likes most and feels deserves it the most. While New Orleans Pelicans fans can go nuts about how Davis should be on the team, Mavs fans can make the case for Dirk, Kings fans can make the case for Boogie and so on and so forth. While Manu and Hayward both have had great seasons, it’s much more likely a race between the four bigs and one other guard along with Anthony Davis for that final spot. So will AD make the team or not? Well let’s look at the four players he’s going to have to beat out and see.

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As far as numbers go, Davis is crushing Dirk Nowitzki. Dirk only has 17.7 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game, which is far less than Davis’ numbers. Nowitzki’s case for the bid is so much more about his legacy. Dirk is now 37 years old and leaning towards the end of his NBA career, along the likes of Kobe and Kevin Garnett. And looking at the votes for Kobe, it’s clear that legacy matters. It might be why Nowitzki will get a spot over Davis. His legacy as possibly the greatest overseas player the league has ever seen can’t be taken away. And events like this are made for guys like Dirk. Yet, even if numbers are the biggest factor in voting, then a guy like DeMarcus Cousins could get the nod over Davis.

DeMarcus Cousins, better known by the nickname “Boogie”, is having an underrated season. If the center position was up for grabs in this All-Star Game, Boogie would be the odds-on favorite. Cousins is averaging 26.7 points per game and 11.4 rebounds per game on a Kings team that’s surprising many with their run at the eighth seed in the Western Conference. He’s been their superstar just like AD is to New Orleans. The big argument for Boogie is the level of domination he demonstrates at his position. In his game earlier in the season against the Pelicans, he had 32 points and 12 rebounds, his eighth game of January where he eclipsed 30 points. He just came off a game against the Pacers where he put up 48 points. He’s a beast. The question is the star power theory.

Davis already has a following from last year thanks to his highlights and praise, while Boogie is a bruiser. He doesn’t throw in highlight dunks or run the fastbreak, making it tougher for fans who don’t follow every team closely to see what he really can do. Blake Griffin however is not short on highlight plays. Griffin’s numbers are strong just like all the other candidates, with 23.2 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game. He’s a fan favorite in Los Angeles and stole the hearts of America with his Dunk Contest performance a few years back. However, this season has been a tricky one for Blake due to an injury that has limited him to 30 of the team’s 44 games, which is a shame since he has become a well-rounded player. A player that used to be just a highlight reel has now turned into a key cog for a contender. The same can’t be said for Damian Lillard.

While it seems the final spots in the West will be saved for bigs, Lillard might make the case for one more guard. He’s been known as one of the under-the-radar guards in the league and has shown his level of play to be strong. He’s averaging 24.6 points per game and 6.9 assists per game, impressive numbers on a bottom-dweller team. A lot of his case is similar to Anthony Davis’. He’s helped carry a very young roster to a better record than the team may have originally anticipated. The worry with Dame is the same as AD…will the coaches notice enough to put him on the team? Being on a less-than stellar team really hurts players’ chances of getting on the team. In AD’s first All-Star bid, he nearly missed the team due to the Pelicans major struggles, even with massive numbers. The last candidate won’t have that problem…LaMarcus Aldridge.

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LaMarcus is on a list of players whose numbers are not overwhelming or their impact is limited, but still could make it due to their teams’ success. Add DeAndre Jordan, Tony Parker, and Marc Gasol to that list. LaMarcus is only averaging 15.9 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game. However, the Spurs’ unreal success mirrors that of the Golden State Warriors, putting him in the running due to his smooth transition to San Antonio’s system. If the coaches are looking more for team success in players than stats, Aldridge might get the nod over a guy like Anthony Davis. On the other hand, a coach looking for a player fans will be excited for because of highlight material may pass on a team-first player like Aldridge in favor of a high flyer.

So, where does Davis stand? It really depends on what Kerr and his staff will be looking for to fill the roster. Harden and Paul are nearly guaranteed to be the guards off the bench, while Klay will for sure take a wild card slot. The frontcourt will more than likely consist of Draymond and Duncan, with one more spot probably going to Boogie Cousins. That leaves one spot for Dirk, AD and the rest of the cast to fight over. While AD might be the frontrunner of that group, it doesn’t mean he is a massive favorite. In all honesty, Davis’ odds are probably around 50 percent to make the team. His spot is not guaranteed, but 50 percent is still solid odds for the youngster. In the extremely talented Western Conference, it should come as now surprise how difficult an All-Star achievement will be. Only time will tell.

Next: Mid-Season roundtable

Anthony Davis not making the All-Star Game is not the worst thing in the world for the Pelicans. New Orleans is just four games behind the Sacramento Kings for the eighth seed in the West at a critical time in the season. The schedule is becoming much easier and the team is starting to click, despite injuries to Eric Gordon and Quincy Pondexter. In that case, the Pelicans need to keep Davis as healthy and rested as they possibly can. Even if the Pelicans fail to make a run, why not motivate the team and Anthony Davis with this missed All-Star Game? New Orleans has MUCH bigger worries on their plate than one All-Star Game. The team is in the midst of more changes to both their system and roster going forward to turn the ship in the right direction. The main focus of all the players needs to be improving their play like they have over the past few contests.

That being said, it’s going to be a sweat for fans of the New Orleans Pelicans this week. The reserves will be announced in the near future, and many will keep an eye out to see if Anthony Davis does end up making the final roster. If he makes it, awesome! There is nothing better than seeing the star of the team get his minutes on one of the brightest NBA stages, and the game will surely bring some highlight reel plays from Anthony Davis. However if he doesn’t make the roster, it’s okay. Davis is young, and he will continue to focus on this team and working on his game for future selections going forward.

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New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis waits on if he will make this year’s All-Star Game

By Rick Stone | Jan 26, 2016

The New Orleans Pelicans and Anthony Davis wait patiently to see if the young superstar will make the cut for the NBA Western Conference All-Star team.

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