When Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett reached the ripe age of 21, two predictions seemed safe: Greatness and multiple championships. Although their careers had barely begun, there was so much to savour, even then.When Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett reached the ripe age of 21, two predictions seemed safe: Greatness and multiple championships. Although their careers had barely begun, there was so much to savour, even then. But only Duncan cashed both of those checks. Garnett cashed in, too -- a pair of $100 million contracts -- and will someday join Duncan in the Hall of Fame. But a championship didnt roll in until he rolled out of Minnesota at 32, and even then, KG remains stuck at one. We mention those two big men today because someone else is generating much of the same projections. Anthony Davis at 21 already compares favorably to a young Duncan and Garnett, and his delicious start here in 2014-15 has surely placed him high on your early MVP watch list. In the NBA annual preseason survey of general managers, Davis was voted the player most likely to have a breakout season, and he finished second to LeBron James among players the GMs would most want to sign if starting a franchise today. Well, after three weeks Davis is leading the league in blocked shots and rebounds and is fifth in scoring at 24.8, an amazing 10 points higher than his rookie season of two years ago. Is it silly to say that right now, no one (LeBron included) plays both ends of the court like Davis? Tall, athletic and stretchy with confidence in his offensive skills starting to soar -- his mid-range jumper is getting scary -- Davis is a centrepiece, exactly the player needed to kick-start fantasies of 50-win seasons and playoff runs and maybe a dynasty. Hes 6-foot-10, stronger by 15 pounds, beats smaller players down the floor. His type, the kind that changes games, doesnt come along often. But in the NBA, as in life, nothing is guaranteed. And so with the Pelicans still under construction and their direction still very much in question, Davis could follow the same championship-bricked road as Duncan. Or life in New Orleans could turn long and frigid, as it was for Garnett in Minnesota. It might seem preposterous to look at Davis in the big picture this early, with so much basketball still to come. He hasnt reached his mid-20s yet. But before you write this off as media-generated babble, it might surprise you that the person whos curiously wondering what lies ahead is none other than Davis himself. I know its a process where youve got to take it one step at a time and Im just trying to establish myself right now, he said in a conversation last week. But Ive wanted to win from the first day. Just days later, in an interesting coincidence, Davis beat Duncan on the mentors floor. His layup with six seconds left was the game-winner and once again, Davis was forceful on both ends: 27 points, 11 rebounds, six swats, four steals. My intention coming into the season was to improve my overall game, he said, especially on offense, whether its shooting while facing the basket or with my back to the basket. I had to make sure that Im improving. Monday against LeBron, Davis kept the pace he set for himself, with 27 points and 14 rebounds, which only supported a growing assumption that Davis is the young NBA player most qualified right now to stand next in line to LeBron. In order to become one of the best, you have to play the best and learn from them, Davis said. The real question is not whether Davis can reach greatness, not after the way he finished up strong last season, not after his play this summer for Team USA and not after the hints hes dropping now. Rather, how much better can his teammates get, and how soon before the Pelicans make deep playoff runs? The biggest nightmare for Davis and New Orleans is that one day he wakes up and discovers hes 30 and lacks a collection of rings. Or even worse: Davis wakes up, realizes hes in his mid-20s, feels theres no hope in New Orleans and wants out. Weve seen the former happen with Dwight Howard in Orlando and the latter happen with LeBron in Cleveland. So many factors will determine Davis relationship with the Pelicans in the long run. Surrounding him with enough talent to win ranks at the very top. Thats why Duncan is still in San Antonio and why all the money in the world wasnt enough to sway Garnett from forcing his way out of Minnesota. Obviously those were drastically different scenarios. Duncan was blessed with terrific timing and a top-flight organization. The Spurs kept finding help: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and a long assortment of role players who proved to be the perfect complement kept fuelling the franchise. Duncan has five titles and never failed to win 50 games in a non-strike season. Garnett, meanwhile, was handed a young Stephon Marbury who was too immature to realize how good he had it with KG, and later an old Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell. He never had a chance. He lost seven straight times in the first round and never went beyond his only trip to the conference finals with the Wolves. There isnt a sense of urgency yet in New Orleans, but general manager Dell Demps is on the clock nonetheless. When the team changed ownership hands a few years ago, Demps and coach Monty Williams were given votes of confidence. Fairly soon, the bosses will demand to see a franchise progress report and also a happy franchise player. Some around the league suspect Demps wont be back if the Pelicans dont reach the playoffs this season, especially if Davis indeed becomes a breakout star. So, exactly where are the Pelicans right now? This season will tell us plenty, because they were too gimpy last season to give a fair assessment. The GM survey projects the Pelicans as the second-most improved team in 2014-15, after the LeBron and Kevin Love-fortified Cavs. That means New Orleans should fight for a playoff spot in the loaded West. So many ifs are hinging on that: If Tyreke Evans can finally fulfil the promise of his long-ago rookie season (so far, so good in 2014-15) ... if Omer Asik is the type of complimentary centre that Davis needs ... if Eric Gordon can escape the fog thats smothered him for two years ... if the Pelicans can bring much off the bench. Davis is being diplomatic and realistic when he says: We can be good if we stay healthy. Were a young team trying to take the next step. Im learning and I came into a learning situation. Were learning together. What the Pelicans want to know is how many of the current players are keepers, meaning, how many will be around and be productive in a few years when Davis reaches his mid-20s and starts looking at his championship biological clock for the first time? This much, we know: Demps made rather big sacrifices to assemble the current crew. The Pelicans wont have any reasonable cap room until the summer of 2016. The Jrue Holiday trade cost Demps the No. 6 pick in 2013 (and a chance at Michael Carter-Williams, Trey Burke or maybe Giannis Antetokounmpo) and No. 10 this year. Also, Demps stuck to the GM motto that says you dont let talent walk and matched the Suns free agent offer for Gordon a few years ago. To put it nicely, that strategy still carries a bad aroma. Gordon began pouting about playing in New Orleans before the ink dried. His last two years have been stained by injuries, declining play (41 percent shooting) and wondering about his role. His contract this year and next ($30 million) is too poisonous to move. There are two advantages the Pelicans hold, though: Davis will be offered his first big-money payday next fall and if he accepts will be under contract the next four or five years (unless he wants to wait for the next labor deal), and getting free agents to play with Davis should be fairly simple once the Pelicans get cap room. Who wouldnt want to hitch themselves to a franchise big man whos yet to tap his prime? Besides, well likely see this year that Davis will be so good that on some nights hell drag New Orleans to victory. Garnett was like that in Minnesota for a while; the Wolves won 50 or more games four times. But KGs team came up empty when it counted because he was never given that special shotgun rider. And theres the perception that the co-star Davis needs isnt in New Orleans yet. So the process continues, and while Davis is more than willing to allow it to develop -- get to the playoffs first, then build from there -- that doesnt mean he isnt already anxious. I just want to win games, win in the playoffs, win championships, he said. Thats my goal.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 09:00:03 +0000
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