The climb from the depths of the Western Conference standings for Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans seems impossible.
A 1-11 start to the season appeared to bury the Pelicans, and any hopes first-year coach Alvin Gentry had of leading them back to the playoffs for a second consecutive season. That ugly, injury-plagued start also doused any momentum Davis carried over from last season’s playoff bid and the offseason.
Mentioned as the one player ready to challenge the status quo in regards to the KIA MVP chase, Davis was relegated to the shadows after his own rocky start as poor shooting (along with hip and shoulder injuries) interrupted his plans.
But he’s not completely out of the race. Three straight wins — a stunner over the San Antonio Spurs a week ago and back-to-back wins over the Phoenix Suns — have the Pelicans feeling much better about themselves and their chances of reversing their fortunes.
The biggest difference in those three games was having a healthy Davis to lean on. He played 39 minutes in each game, after playing a total of 46 minutes in the five games (he missed three of those) leading up to that stretch.
He burned the Spurs for 20 points, 18 rebounds, three assists and two blocks as the Pelicans snapped the Spurs’ six-game win streak. In Sunday’s home win over the Suns, he was relentless, finishing with 32 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks. And in Wednesday’s rematch in Phoenix he lit the Suns up for 26 points (on 11-for-14 shooting), 17 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
It’s the first stretch of the season where Davis has looked like the guy ballyhooed this summer as ready to take over, sometime in the near future, as the best player in the game.
The real test, though, comes with this weekend’s back-to-back set. We’ll see if Davis and the Pelicans can keep it going tonight in Los Angeles against the Clippers (10:30 ET, NBA League Pass) and Saturday against the Jazz in Salt Lake City (9 ET, NBA League Pass).
Because if he wants in on the KIA Race to the MVP Ladder and the Pelicans want in on the playoff chase, they have to grind now.
The Top 10 in this week’s KIA Race to the MVP Ladder:
1. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Last week’s ranking: No. 1
Even when he’s shooting like a mere mortal (10-for-21 from the floor, 4-for-12 from deep), as he did in the Warriors’ record-setting 16th straight win over the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night, Curry remains a hoops marvel. His 24 points, nine assists, four rebounds and two steals came in just 30 minutes of game action. And he didn’t have a single turnover in that same 30 minutes. Curry’s wild start has infected the entire roster as the Warriors continue their historic march. You let Curry tell it, both he and the Warriors are just getting started.
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Last week’s ranking: No. 2
Things are never boring in LeBron’s world. Passing Reggie Miller to move into 18th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list was overshadowed this week by the Cavaliers picking up their fourth loss of the young season, in Toronto, and LeBron calling out his team — yet again — in a players-only meeting for their lack of mental toughness. When you’re averaging 25.7 points on 51 percent shooting, and 7.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists while missing three starters, all while guiding your team to the top of the conference standings, you’re allowed to bark a little bit.
3. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: No. 4
Kevin Durant is back in the lineup and that’s a great thing for the Thunder and Westbrook, who shines with or without Durant by his side. But it’s clear that the Thunder can be a completely different monster when they have both of their superstars working in concert. Durant was splendid, scoring 17 of his 30 points in the final 20 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Nets. But Westbrook was just as critical in the Thunder rolling to their third straight win. Westbrook burned the Nets for 27 points and 13 assists, setting Durant up time after time for big shots.
4. Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
Last week’s ranking: No. 5
As good as he was in Wednesday’s win over Dallas (26 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the floor, 4-for-7 from deep, eight rebounds and five assists), Leonard was even better two days earlier in a win over Phoenix. In fact, he turned in perhaps his finest game of the season with a double-double (24 points on 11-for-18 shooting, 13 rebounds, four assists and a block. Leonard is showing off the full scope of his tremendous arsenal. The most frightening things for the rest of the league is that Leonard is just starting to peel back the layers of his game. He gets better with every outing.
5. Paul George, Indiana Pacers
Last week’s ranking: No. 6
George is on a tear so wicked that he’s stirring up talk of this being potentially the greatest season of any player in the storied history of the franchise, and that includes NBA and ABA superstars like Reggie Miller and George McGinnis. If you need visual proof, just take a look at the 40-point masterpiece he put together in Tuesday’s win over Washington. It will take more time to put George’s season in the proper context, but if he keeps up this current pace — 25.9 points on 45.8 percent shooting from the floor and 45.7 from beyond the 3-point line, as well as 8.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals — only McGinnis, Miller and Danny Granger will have had comparable seasons in a Pacers uniform.
6. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
Last week’s ranking: No. 3
Griffin worked his way out of a two-game slump with a season-high 40-point (12-rebound, three-assist, two-block) effort against Utah Wednesday night. But it still wasn’t enough to lift the Clippers out of their recent funk as they’ve lost 8 of their last 11 games. Locker room shouting matches between coaches and players and the inability to finish what they start is costing the Clippers dearly right now. Big games from Griffin will certainly aid the cause, and he’s more than capable of dominating on a consistent basis. But it might not be enough to keep the Clippers among the top eight in the Western Conference.
7. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
Last week’s ranking: No. 10
Butler and the Bulls got the better of Paul George and the Pacers, winning 96-95 on Nov. 16 at United Center. Tonight’s rematch at Bankers Life Fieldhouse (8 ET, NBA League Pass) will showcase two of the league’s truly elite two-way players going head-to-head. And the George Butler saw last time around is playing on another level right now. Butler is sure to be up to the challenge. And he comes into the game on a roll of his own, averaging 25.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals in his last five games.
8. Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons
Last week’s ranking: No. 7
Drummond’s double-double streak was snapped at 12 games during Saturday’s loss at Washington. But he hopped right back onto that grind his next two games, finishing with 15 points and 15 rebounds in a Monday loss in Milwaukee and 18 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks in a much-needed win over Miami Wednesday at The Palace at Auburn Hills. Drummond is still pushing his game to the limit, averaging 18.1 points and 17.8 rebounds on the season, showing that his wild early-season start was no fluke. He might not be ready to chase a 20-20 season, but he’s close.
9. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last week’s ranking: Not Ranked
Durant has only played two games since returning from a hamstring injury that cost him six games. But he made his presence felt immediately upon his return, scoring Utah for 27 points (10-for-13 shooting from the floor, 3-for-6 from deep) in 30 minutes and followed that up by crushing Brooklyn for 30 points (11-for-18, 5-for-8) in 37 minutes, including 17 in the final 20 minutes of what ended up being the Thunder’s third straight win. Durant is shooting a preposterous 64 percent in his last four games he’s played. Former Thunder point guard Reggie Jackson and his Detroit Pistons will get whatever flame Durant will throw next in a matchup tonight in Oklahoma City. .
10. Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Last week’s ranking: Not Ranked
Lowry turned in a near-flawless performance in the win over Cleveland that caused LeBron James and crew to hold a players-only meeting afterwards. Lowry led the Raptors with 27 points (11-for-17 shooting), six assists, four steals, three rebounds and a block, showing off his well-rounded game against the league’s best stat-stuffer. The Raptors have won three straight and Lowry is once again serving as the catalyst for one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and the league.
Others Receiving Consideration: Chris Bosh, Miami Heat; Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans; Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks; Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets; Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
