New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis (23) backs in on Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love in the third quarter of an NBA basketball game Monday, Nov. 10, 2014, in Cleveland. (The Associated Press)
Spotlight on… Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans
When: Several players are off to great starts, and that list certainly includes New Orleans center Anthony Davis. For his blazing start and domination on both ends of the court, he’s The Denver Post’s NBA player of the week.
What’s up: Few players have been hotter than Davis, who averaged 25.3 points 10.3 rebounds, 4.3 blocks and 2.8 steals per game in four games and shot 64.2 percent from the field. New Orleans won three of those four games, and Davis was among the NBA leaders in plus/minus at plus-11.
Background: Davis was squarely on the radar before the season, identified by many as a potential breakout star. And he’s living up to expectations, perhaps even exceeding them. He is quickly making his case as the NBA’s best power forward, leading a team trying to make the playoffs out of the league’s toughest division, the Southwest.
Dempsey’s take: The beauty of Davis’ game is how effortless it appears. The former Kentucky star runs the court and hits jump shots like a guard. Defensively, Davis blocks shots of the man he’s guarding as well as on his “help side.” He is setting a new standard for how that position is to be played at a time when older players who have dominated the position, such as Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, are riding off into the sunset of their careers.
