Film room: Inside Anthony Davis passing improvements

Mar 6, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward

(23) reacts after scoring against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

For the New Orleans Pelicans there is a lot to be happy about right now.

Despite a plethora of injuries all season long the team has somehow competed enough to be in the race for the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

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All the injuries that have hit the team seem to have no long term complications attached. Low cost pickups like

and

have turned into valuable contributors that are easy to see being in New Orleans long-term.

But all of that pales in comparison to something else that has happened lately for the Pelicans. Their superstar Anthony Davis has started to show off an incredible new skill that could turn him into the type of player that renders the rest of the NBA even more helpless as he continues to grow older.

What has emerged recently from Davis is a new-found passing ability that combines both excellent tough, vision and feel for the game that not many big men in basketball today have. The results have followed as well. In his last five games Davis has posted games of six, five, seven, four and five assists. While Davis won’t ever be a player that averages 10 assists per game, the improvements have shown that the Pelicans can run their offense fully and completely through Davis and not have to worry about things bogging down.

For this trip into the film room we will look at Davis throwing four different types of passes. First working out of the high post, then from the pick-and-roll, then out of the post before a final look at a pass that didn’t turn into an assist but came from his working from the perimeter.

Next: From the high post