The rise of AD, who went from playing point guard in high school to intimidating top star in the NBA
The journey that Anthony Davis took from being selected first overall in the NBA Draft in 2012 to becoming a member of the uppermost tier of superstars in the NBA today is a tale that has been told before. The path that ‘The Brow’ took to make it to the NBA, on the other hand, was extremely different from that of his contemporaries.
An unanticipated growth spurt that completely redirected ‘AD’s’ professional trajectory was the catalyst for his meteoric ascension to the top. As of right now, he is widely considered to be one of the most dangerous big me𝚗 in the game and a consistent candidate for the Most Valuable Player title.
A great deal of anticipation
Davis was chosen by the New Orleans Hornets with the first overall choice in the 2012 NBA Draft on June 28, 2012. This placed him ahead of future All-Stars Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, and Draymond Green. Davis was only 19 years old at the time of his selection.
His first season in the NBA was marred by injuries as he struggled to adapt to the league’s more аggressive style of play. Davis played in 65 games and had a rough season, but he still managed to score 13.5 points per game and was chosen for the first team of the NBA All-Rookie Team.
“The Brow” continued to prosper in his second NBA season with the team that would later be renamed the New Orleans Pelicans. As a result, he was selected to replace an injured Kobe Bryant in the All-Star Game in 2014 despite being just 20 years old.
A few months later, Davis achieved a 40-point and 20-rebound performance for the Pelicans in their victory over the Boston Celtics, becoming him the fourth youngest player in NBA history to do it. It was becoming clear in a short amount of time that Davis was the genuine article.
Davis continued to put up great numbers despite the fact that he had become the Pelicans’ face of the franchise. Because of his outstanding individual play during the 2014–15 season, the Pelicans qualified for the playoffs for the first time in the previous four seasons.
The ratings for ‘AD’ kept shattering previous highs. Most notably, his effort of 52 points in the 2016–2017 NBA All-Star Game broke the record for most points scored in the championship game, which had previously been held by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain with 42 points in 1962.
Davis has rapidly established himself as one of the top big me𝚗 in the NBA, having made it to the All-Star game five times in his first six seasons with the team.
In recent years, it has been increasingly difficult to find players that possess the size, athleticism, and intelligence that Davis does. After the heydays of Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan in the early to middle 2000s, there has been a dearth of strong big me𝚗 who are able to guide their team to victory. This has resulted in a lack of success for many teams.
The development of Davis, along with other athletic centers like Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns, is pointing to the possibility that the next decade may witness a revival of true NBA giants.
Where will AD go from here?
The terms of Davis’ current contract stipulate that he will be eligible for free agency after the conclusion of the 2019–20 NBA season. As a result, there is already much conjecture as to whether he will continue to play for the New Orleans Pelicans or go in order to compete for an NBA championship with another team.
Davis has the opportunity to sign a maximum contract extension at the end of this season, but if he chooses not to, the Pelicans are likely to trade him for a significant return rather than rιsk losing him for absolutely nothing.
There is no doubt that “The Brow” will be towards the top of the list of prospective acquisitions for big-market clubs like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, both of which are looking to mount a strong challenge to the dominance of the Golden State Warriors.
Davis’ decision in September to sign with Rich Paul, who is both LeBron James’ agent and business partner, fueled rumors that he is considering a move to Los Angeles in order to play alongside the three-time NBA champion, but he will have no shortage of opportunities to choose from.
Davis’ only objective for the upcoming season will be to guide his Pelicans team into a playoff position for a third time in the last five years and to improve on the team’s previous finish of sixth place in the Western Conference. This will be Davis’ sole emphasis.
They have had a rather up-and-down performance thus far in this campaign. As Davis battled through an elbow ιnjury, the Pelicans went on a skid, dropping their next six games after starting the year by winning their first four games of the season.
A return to full health for Davis helped the Pelicans to win six of their next seven games, but this was followed by another losing run of four games. It is no surprise that the franchise player has been suffering with a right hip ιnjury at this time.
The Pelicans’ record of 14-15 places them 11th in a West division that is extremely competitive due to the fact that they have alternated wins and losses in their most recent eight games.
Whether or not they have ‘The Brow’ on the floor for them to play, both now and in the future, will determine how far they can advance in the playoffs. It is becoming an increasingly likely scenario for the team that he will leave in order to chase his goals of winning an NBA championship somewhere.