Unlike teammate DeMarcus Cousins, who has never made the playoffs and spoke recently about how doing so would be “one of the more special moments” of his career, Anthony Davis has a little postseason experience. Still, that experience is about as minimal as it could be — Davis has only made the playoffs once during his career in New Orleans, and he and the Pelicans were swept in four games by the Warriors during that lone postseason appearance in 2015.
It’s no surprise then that Davis, who has long been considered one of the most promising and talented young players in the game, is laser-focused on getting back to the postseason and starting to build a playoff résumé. As he tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, “everything is about winning” in the NBA. “Every award. Everything. It’s all about winning,” Davis said.
Wojnarowski’s piece, which takes a closer look at Davis’ situation in New Orleans, includes several more quotes of interest from the standout big man, who discusses his goals for the Pelicans, what he wants to see from the team, and the Celtics-related trade rumors that have swirled around him in recent years. While Woj’s article is worth checking out in full, here are a few highlights from Davis:
On having not had any playoff success with the Pelicans:
“I hear it all the time: ‘Anthony is a good player, but he hasn’t won anything. He’s not a winner. He hasn’t been to the playoffs in two years.’ It bothers me. You know you’re doing everything in your power to try and win. Playing through injuries, playing a ton of minutes, diving on the floor, but you just can’t come up with enough wins to go to the playoffs. And it isn’t enough just going to the playoffs. You want to make noise. You want to be a threat. People judge you. For DeMarcus and me, this is the time. The time is now.”
On wanting the Pelicans to put together a deep, well-balanced roster:
“You look at the Warriors, Cleveland. Boston. They lose Gordon [Hayward], they’re still playing well. KD-Steph-Draymond-Klay. They play so well with each other. They move the basketball. They don’t care who scores. Steph and Draymond are out, and they still won. KD is out. They still win.”
On hearing rumors last season that the Celtics were trying to trade for him (Boston has “remained vigilant” on this front, per Woj):
“[GM Dell Demps] told me that [Boston] was calling, but nothing was going to happen. At the same time, though, you see how organizations treat players. DeMarcus told me that the [Kings] told him that he wasn’t going to get traded, but they traded him. Isaiah [Thomas] took his team to Eastern Conference Finals, and they traded him.
“It makes you wonder: Does this organization really have my back? I’ve been loyal to this organization. I love it here. I love this team. I think we’re moving in the right direction. DeMarcus, [Rajon] Rondo, some other players that are helping us, but people get judged on winning. And I want to win. It’s not about the money. It’s not about having fans. The most important thing to me: Winning. That’s what I want to do. And I want to do it here.”