NBA: Grading each team’s 2014-2015 season

5th. Southwest Division, Western Conference. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS. B+. <p>Anthony Davis is pretty good, eh?</p> <p>There is an argument to made that the now 22-year-old Davis has been the best player in the NBA on a per-minute basis this season, with a 31.1 PER (to lead the league) in conjunction with better than 24 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. With that, the Pelicans would be <em>soundly </em>in the playoffs without a 6-8 mark in games that Davis misses, and New Orleans has overachieved a bit against their preseason projections.</p> <p>Of course, we can’t get through a post about New Orleans without discussing their coaching issue. Monty Williams has been roundly criticized for his in-game performance this season, and even with the caveat of a flawed roster (and injury issues to Jrue Holiday), things get ugly in a hurry.</p> <p>There is no need to dwell on that, however, when evaluating this group, as the Pelicans are a year or two early in arriving into the playoff picture. Davis is theoretically beginning to enter his prime, but the rest of the roster isn’t there yet and it is a credit to the players (Eric Gordon alert!) that this team is over the .500 mark in the West.</p> <p>If they reach the playoffs, it will be a short stint for the Pelicans, but getting there is a victory above all victories.</p>