On Wednesday night, Anthony Davis will play in New Orleans for the first time as a member of the Lakers. Here are three big questions about how the night may go.
On June 15, the shape of the NBA drastically shifted as the New Orleans Pelicans agreed to trade the long disgruntled Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers for Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and a boatload of draft picks.
This Wednesday, Davis will return to New Orleans for the first time as a member of the Lakers and for the only time this season. While the trade has worked wonders for the Lakers so far this season as they find themselves with the best record in the league and looking like legitimate title contenders, things have been a bit rockier for the Pelicans so far this season.
Of course, for the Lakers this was a win now move and more of a long term one for the Pelicans so their respective records this season so far isn’t altogether shocking, though many expected New Orleans to be off to a better start than they have been.
With Davis returning to the city where he spent the first seven years of his career on Wednesday night, here are three burning questions about his return.
Will the fans boo?
Almost certainly, yes. It’s not that Davis was bad for the team during his time there, since he led them to two playoff appearances and their first series win since 2008 when they were still the Hornets, but the manner of his exit is likely to overshadow all that in the minds of Pelicans fans for now.
For Pelicans fans, especially those in New Orleans, Davis’ trade request felt like a slap in the face to their team and, more hurtfully, their city. Whether those feelings are entirely justified or not, that’s how it was perceived by many.
While Davis’ primary complaints were about the lack of a solid supporting cast, it’s often easy to lose sight of that when a player you’ve come to cheer for over the last few years decides he wants out.
Maybe once more time has passed and the initial sting of betrayal has worn off, Pelicans fans will be more able to appreciate how spectacular Davis was during his time with the team, but now is not likely to be that time.
Will Davis be affected by a potentially negative reception?
Davis is far more known for his on-court performance than his outsized personality, which is appropriate. It’s not that Davis lacks personality or is unlikeable, but that he tends to keep his emotions close to the chest, opting not to reveal a ton about himself to the public.
He seems like a generally easygoing guy who tries to avoid unnecessary conflict, though on Wednesday night he find himself in the midst of turmoil no matter what he does.
However, with him being such an even keeled player, it’s hard to imagine him being too ruffled by anything that happens. He is a businesslike player who in spite of his dynamic play is generally quite steady.
Pelicans fans will likely boo him mercilessly, but considering Davis’ demeanor, it would be surprising to see him be affected by it too much.
Will the Pelicans win?
While the Pelicans will have home court advantage, they will not likely have much else going for them tomorrow night apart from two days of rest entering Wednesday’s contest.
The Lakers currently have the best record in the NBA and have looked every bit as good as their most optimistic fans had hoped they would entering the season. Davis and LeBron James have already developed great chemistry and while their shaky bench may hurt them in the postseason, it has yet to do them much harm so far.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans have been generally solid, able to stay in most of their games, but unable to pull out victories. Also, they have been plagued by injuries. Zion Williamson has yet to appear and several other players including Jrue Holiday, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, and Derrick Favors among others have all missed multiple games.
Maybe the adrenaline of the moment will spur the Pelicans on to victory, but it seems just as probable that Davis and James will find inspiration in the vitriol likely to be coming their way from the crowd. Remember what LeBron did in his first game back in Cleveland as a member of the Heat?
Regardless of the outcome, it is sure to be an interesting game to watch for all Pelicans fans, who will be hoping that the Pelicans can pull off a big upset on Wednesday night. If Ingram and Holiday both can score efficiently, and the bench is able to support their efforts, they’re certainly likely to keep it close if nothing else.