After dealing with consistent injuries, Anthony Davis is very optimistic about the upcoming season. After being cleared to play again, Davis feels that he can play a full 82-game season. That would be great for the New Orleans Pelicans because without him, they’re just a sub-par NBA team. However, Davis sees New Orleans as his home and hopes to bring a championship to the city:
Davis calls himself old-school and says, "I never plan on leaving here. I love it here. I plan on bringing a championship here."
— Oleh Kosel (@OlehKosel) September 23, 2016
That’s all nice and dandy, and it makes the fans of New Orleans happy, but at some point, there may be a time where Anthony Davis will want to look else where. Looking at this squad ever since he was drafted in 2012, the Pelicans have only had one winning season in which they were bounced out in the first round of the playoffs.
The talent surrounding Davis has been okay but the problem has been their health. Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon, who just signed to the Houston Rockets this off-season, were his two comrades over the past few seasons. However, these are two guys who have consistently dealt with injuries of there own which hurt the Pelicans significantly. The New Orleans organization has failed to surround Davis with any other talent which is why they’ve struggled consistently.
Despite his desire to stay with this team, it might be best to leave if they don’t see improvements in the next few seasons. Sometimes you have to question whether you’ll rather be the best player on a losing team or go somewhere and help another team win. This notion of leaving your team and going somewhere to win makes you less of a competitor is the craziest thing that I’ve ever heard. A lot of players rejuvenate their careers after joining another team and some even find success in winning a championship. Anthony Davis is entering his fifth season and although he signed a 5-year extension just last summer, if they don’t find success quickly, he may want to second guess his decision of staying with the Pelicans for the duration of his career.
The Pelicans drafted Buddy Hield this summer who they hope can come in and make an immediate impact with his scoring ability on the wing. They also brought in Langston Galloway, who’s a underrated guard and Lance Stephenson, who’s a hit or miss. They kept Tyreke Evans, who they hope can bounce back from injuries but he’s already having problems as it was reported that a blood clot was developed following his knee surgery. It’s unsure how their roster will pan out this season but I strongly believe that the playoffs is out of the picture. Being the homer is a great thing but leaving New Orleans could be even better for Anthony Davis.
