Anthony Davis lost, but still proved he’s one of the NBA’s best

Anthony Davis can now be likened to the legendary Spartan king Leonidas in the movie 300. Though heroic and inspiring, his efforts were always going to be in vain.

The outcome of the game was already determined the minute the Pelicans were matched up against the Warriors. There was never any chance for a victory. The Warriors are just too resourceful, more powerful and better coached.

All you could ask for was a good show, and the skyscraper of a forward provided all of that and more. He solidified himself as wholly indefensible and a future MVP winner during the series. Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted as much.

When Davis had 20-plus points heading into the third quarter, the Warriors had two players with 20 in Curry and Green, with Thompson trailing slightly with 15. The Pelicans’ game plan all series was to involve Davis directly on as many possessions as possible on both ends of the floor. It nearly worked, but it was too much.

Yet it’s hard to ignore the beauty of a man fighting against the inevitable. It’s the same as watching a healthy Kobe Bryant do everything barring black magic to fight against father time. It’s the same as watching Russell Westbrook sprint himself to the bare bones in order to will his team to victory, only to ultimately miss the playoffs.

When Dante Cunningham cut the Warriors lead down to seven with a little more than a minute left in Game 4, Davis sensed an opportunity. He met every attacker in the middle, followed his man out of the paint and did everything humanly possible to give his team a chance on defense. The Warriors nullified that by mesmerizing the rest of the Pelicans with their ball movement, springing an open Thompson at the top of the key for a dagger three.

Davis ran down to the other end, received the ball 15 feet away from the rim with Green sagging off of him and proceeded to sink the jumper. The effort was admirable, but he was essentially fighting an avalanche.

It was such a desperate task that Davis attempted a three within the dying minutes of the game. While he has memorably made those in the past, it’s a weapon he does not yet possess. But the Pelicans were strictly in “Brow, save us please” mode. If not him, then who? Everyone else was shirking away from the spotlight of the moment.

Still, even with knowledge of his weakness from behind the arc, you half-expected the shot to still go in. That’s how ridiculous Davis’ talent is. You believe in the unreasonable even when reality objects to it.

★★★

Going into this series, there was the sense that Davis was unguardable. The hope for the Warriors was that Green could slow him down enough to a manageable degree.

Yet this fact didn’t seem to dawn on the Pelicans forward till the second half of the first game. After spending the first portion of it being frustrating at the lack of foul calls and his teammates’ inability to manufacture their own opportunities, Davis settled down came alive. Pelicans coach Monty Williams said that he figured out things in the second half that would help him going forward, and it showed. Davis absolutely dominated and turned what was a Warriors blowout into a dangerous comeback for the Pelicans. Steve Kerr was forced to put his starters back in, and even that hardly kept the Warriors safe.

Davis struck fear into the heart of not only Green, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but the entire Warriors roster who were at a loss to contain him. That’s the “best defense in the NBA” Warriors. That’s an impressive feat.

He finished the game with 35 points and double-digit rebounds, the highest scoring playoff debut for a big man since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 36 in 1970. He would repeat a similar stat line in the next three games but the big storyline remained more of the same: Davis plays out of his mind, yet the Pelicans come up short.

In Game 2, his fear factor was evident again. Multiple Warriors players drove to the basket, got a glimpse of those gangly arms and proceeded to kick the ball out or attempt such wild shots that Kerr would place his hands on his head. The Warriors relied on individual moments of magic to help them. A tactic well known to the Pelicans, except Golden State has numerous individuals capable of these moments. The Pelicans have one.

Game 3 was the ultimate collapse. The Pelicans led by 20 points going into the fourth quarter before the lead suddenly disappeared. The Warriors reclaimed their identity, initially via a hail of threes and later with timely offensive rebounds. They erased what seemed to be an insurmountable lead in less than six minutes.

Then, with a handful of seconds left, Curry freed himself for a left corner three. We know what happens next. One of those defenders that Curry had to beat was Anthony Davis. The game was tied and the Pelicans felt the weight of powerlessness dawn on them.

The game went into overtime and of course Golden State went on to win. They won the next one despite Davis’ best efforts again. Series over.

★★★

Davis’ first playoff series was against the best team in the NBA with an array of talent that could hit half-court shots for amusement. One man can only score and stop so much. It’s a cruel fate for one of the best players in the NBA to suffer.

But the good news is that in the firestorm of this defeat, Davis emerged as a phenomena in his own right. Just as the Pelicans couldn’t stop all of the weapons of the Warriors, neither could anyone from the other side stop Davis. It was not for a lack of effort.

He’ll ruminate on the heartbreak of this exit over the summer. He’ll be forced to confront his own limits and he’ll have to work to overcome deficiencies and add more to to his game. He’ll get better once again, as he seemingly does every year.

That itself is frightening to contemplate with respect to his current ability. As Kerr said, Anthony Davis will be in a class of his own in no time.