The cameras on the New Orleans Pelicans broadcast caught Anthony Davis sitting alone on the bench late in the fourth quarter in Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Smoothie King Center.
New Orleans had fallen behind Philadelphia and was losing contact with them as the Sixers — yes, those Sixers — began inching away. Joel Embiid was demolishing things in the paint and Philadelphia found Ersan Ilyasova in the corner and in odd locations to score. The lead was growing and the Pelicans were fading against one of the league’s worst teams.
Davis was in the huddle on the bench but on the edges. He had that distant look in his eyes. Maybe a slight head shake as things began to unwind out of control.
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It is a face seen all too often in the NBA. The look of a star fighting the Sysiphian climb with a roster going nowhere. Star players, transcendent players, stuck on a team with injured players and management unable to put the pieces together.
Davis is still brilliant, still trying everything in his power to win. He scored 26 points to go with 11 rebounds on 8-for-21 shooting to lead the Pelicans in the 99-88 loss on Thursday. Langston Galloway was the only other Pelican to score in double figures — and the Pelicans had just one option late in the game.
With Jrue Holiday out with turf toe and Tyreke Evans out for the prolonged future, Davis has to do everything. And every time late in the game he tried to drive into the lane, he was met with the athletic Joel Embiid. Philadelphia could throw defenders at him like Embiid, a brick wall tall enough to challenge Davis’ high release point. They could outmuscle him when he got past Dario Saric as Davis tried to do everything on his own.
Even a team as downtrodden as the 76ers, winning their first road game since January of last year, took it to the Pelicans. Things do not seem to be getting better for New Orleans.
At 7-16, the Pelicans are not out of it yet. And they do have the star in Davis. But without Holiday in the lineup, the Pelicans are a mere 2-12. It leads to the only conclusion — Anthony Davis needs help. Needs help just to get .500. And it is help he is not getting from the Pelicans right now. Too many injuries. Too many failed rebuilding plans and poor free agent acquisitions. New Orleans just does not have the support he needs.
Davis will continue to put up gaudy stat lines. For the season, he is averaging 31.4 points per game and 11.4 rebounds per game while playing 38.1 minutes per game. All three are career highs. The Pelicans are asking more and more from Davis. And Davis, the dutiful lonely star that he is, is delivering. Delivering unforgettable performances and gargantuan scoring outbursts. That is what the lonely stars do. It is what they have to do.
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Davis will keep putting in lines like this until he gets fed up and leaves. That is often how these things end. The futility of numbers without the winning eventually catches up to the lonely star.
As Davis sat at the end of the bench contemplating what was turning into another loss, the future seemed as clear as ever. Davis is doing all the work and help is not on the horizon.