New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis Voted 5th Best NBA Player By Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated has released it’s annual Top 100 Players List and New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis is voted Number 5.

Coming off a fantastic season in which Anthony Davis averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds per game, finished third in MVP voting, and second in Defensive Player of the Year votes, Sports Illustrated ranks AD as the 5th best player in the NBA.

The four players ranked ahead of Davis — LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and James Harden, have all won a league MVP award, so signs point to Davis being next in line for that prestigious award. Here is a small excerpt from the article:

"If there is any slight against Davis, it’s that his position makes it hard for him to touch as many possessions as a player like Curry or Harden. Guards who can initiate offense will always be slightly more accessible. Passing gives both a direct means of influencing a play’s outcome, to say nothing of the gravity they exert idly. Davis doesn’t really have that in his game, and that’s fine; allowing others to handle the ball frees Davis of the responsibility, allowing him to instead use his speed to its greatest advantage. Opposing bigs are at a loss when they’re forced to chase Davis, a 6’10” gazelle, around staggered screens to contest his jumper. You can use Davis in all the ways you’d use a high-scoring wing, save that he also has the face-up game to rule the mid-post and the finishing ability to dominate out of the pick-and-roll. There is very little on a basketball court that Davis can’t do."

While its hard to disagree with the list given past league MVPs are ahead of Davis, most agree it will only be a matter of time before Davis will be ranked first or second on the list.

An MVP award would solidify this, but even more so, team success would catapult his individual accomplishments to the next level. The top three players have won multiple championships and Harden was one game away last year from reaching the NBA Finals. Simply put, team success matters.

Speaking of teammates, Anthony Davis was not the only Pelican who found their way on the list. The Pelicans ended up with three more entries with Julius Randle coming in at 72, Nikola Mirotic at 60, and Jrue Holiday at 29, respectively.

While the Pelicans certainly have talent, though not Golden State level, they seem to be forward heavy with this talent as Jrue is the only guard from the Pelicans on the list. With the plethora of outstanding guard play that is out West, it will be imperative for newcomer Elfrid Payton and second-year guard Frank Jackson to alleviate some pressure off Jrue by consistently playing well throughout the year.

So what do you think? Are you happy with Anthony Davis’ ranking? Do you another Pelican should have made the Top 100?