Written by Adrian Wojnarowski at YahooSports.com
New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis is forever trying to understand the responsibilities of his role. As the $145 million man – the superstar sent from the future – Davis is desperate to learn the lessons of leadership.
What Davis dropped on the Detroit Pistons on Sunday in Auburn Hills – 59 points and 20 rebounds – left the NBA stunned and speechless. He reminded everyone, including himself: Davis is a transcendent and generational talent stranded on a flawed, broken roster.
Ever seen something like it? “I haven’t,” New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told The Vertical in a text message. “Not by a big with that skill level.”
This season had been targeted as Davis’ MVP breakthrough, his time. Now, he’s nowhere near the conversation. Sit down with him, and the sense comes quickly: That’s the least of his concern. Winning matters to him, and that’s how Davis wants to be judged. Chris Paul pushed his way out of New Orleans, but Davis is starting a new five-year deal, and he’ll have to find a way to become part of the solution there.
Throughout All-Star weekend, Davis probed the biggest winners in the NBA. Throughout this lost Pelicans season, Kendrick Perkins has been guide to his personal inventory of franchise star stories – from Kevin Garnett and LeBron James to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
“Perk tells me stories from 10 years ago, and says: As the franchise player and leader of this team, you have to do this, you have to do that,” Davis told The Vertical.
Davis listens, but here’s the truth of the matter: The franchise star job demands that you learn through experience. Otherwise, everything will devour you. Davis is so gifted, so dedicated. And he takes everything – the losing, the unrealistic insistences that he ought to be to able to win all alone – in the most personal way possible.
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