by wdt92 on Wed Aug 05, 2020 12:56 pm
by wdt92 on Wed Aug 05, 2020 1:51 pm
Rachel Nichols: "So, to start off with, you said during Media Day this year that you want to be considered the greatest Chicago player ever when it is all said and done."
Anthony Davis: "Yep."
Rachel Nichols: "For now, after this historic three and oh - forty-one points a game start, where do you think that puts you in today's NBA?"
Anthony Davis: "At the top. I see myself, right now, as the most dominant player in this league. I don't want to say best yet, 'cause I think I need to win the big one before I can claim that, you know? But I am right there in that conversation."
Rachel Nichols: "Woah! So, give me the take right now. Convince me. Why should fans, media, put you right now above guys like LeBron, Durant, Curry?"
Anthony Davis: "Great players. However, right now from how this season has started, I think with how I can play both ends, you have to put me at the top of being the most dominant."
Rachel Nichols: "Playoffs changes that conversation. Obviously, with players like Harden, Curry, Durant, and LeBron, all four of them have reached the Finals. Three of those guys have multiple rings now after KD's dominant performance last year in the Finals. How much do you think winning impacts this conversation?"
Anthony Davis: "It changes it. Those guys are great winners. I definitely think only making the playoffs once every three years has made it harder for me to claim where I think I am and make my case."
Rachel Nichols: "Winning definitely changes things, but to give you the credit you can only go as far as the team constructed. Right now you guys have started with such a white-hot start, but I think most fans want to know. Will there be a point for you if this team or the next year's team cannot get you to those Finals, will you think about going somewhere else?"
Anthony Davis: "I'm just focused on winning. I think that right now, we just came out of a good win against the Clips, and I want to be focused on the game in a few days against Brooklyn. I'm focused on being the most dominant player in this league. When the time comes I'll have the right team behind me to make sure I get to where I want to be."
Rachel Nichols: "You recently just switched agents, you're now with Rich Paul. I think the move helped create this chatter around you about you thinking of joining LeBron. Everywhere I have been hearing how that sealed the deal and you were going to the Lakers. I obviously don't even have a small segment of that conversation. What has that been like for you hearing this from everywhere this season?"
Anthony Davis: [laughs] "I do hear that everywhere now. You know, I am not even sure how that correlated-"
Rachel Nichols: [laughs] "You know how that correlated!"
Anthony Davis: [laughs] "Well, I mean, I don't know why people jumped to that conclusion so quickly. It didn't even cross my mind making that decision. I wanted to look for my best financial options. I wanted to be the most dominant on the court and make sure everything is taken care of when I'm off the court. I am just focused on now. I'm focused on playing this year, and all that white noise outside saying how 'AD is going here' doesn't matter. AD is playing for the Pelicans this year."
Rachel Nichols: "People also forget that the Pelicans are the only team next season that can offer you the Supermax. They can offer you the largest contract in the NBA by the end of next season. How important is that to you?"
Anthony Davis: "It is important, of course. At the end of the day though, as I said, I'm focused on winning. I want to win. My biggest thing right now has been on this year and making sure my guys are ready for when that time comes."
Rachel Nichols: "It has obviously made a difference. I think with the distractions outside talked about, let's talk about this year. This year the Pelicans have started three and oh. You have been on a tear. Let me just read your stat-sheet to you so everyone can see your reaction to it. Forty-one points, almost fifteen rebounds, almost seven assists, two steals, and almost three blocks a game. You're shooting sixty-two percent from the floor and fifty-three percent from three on six attempts a game. Right now you have been playing the best basketball of your career and put up very historic numbers for a three-game stretch. What has changed around this Pelican team and what has inspired this unbelievable stretch from you?"
Anthony Davis: [laughs] "Well, first, I don't think we've had any distractions at all. That stuff with contracts and all of that, as I said, has been from everyone else. I haven't thought about it. Second, I think mostly our confidence has been from our focus. We all have been very driven from the jump this season. We all want to win. The ball has been moving faster, we have been tenacious on defense. I think so far everyone has loved playing together. We have no ego with our rotations. We play the next guy up mentality as guys are in and out of lineups. It has been a great start so far."
Rachel Nichols: "That's been a great story, and from my perspective, you guys have actually had continuity so far this year with little change during the pre-season regarding injuries, etcetera. In preparing for this interview, I looked up your roster changes over the last three years, and do you know how many players you have played with? Just from roster changes over the last three seasons."
Anthony Davis: "Including G-League?"
[Rachel nods]
Anthony Davis: "At least fifty."
Rachel Nichols: "Fifty-one. That's incredible. Fifty-one new teammates in and out in just three seasons. With that much change around you, you have to learn to be the consistency in the lockerroom. You have to be the consistent voice. It thrusts you into the leadership role regardless if you want it or not. From last season to this season, how has that new roster year after year changed your outlook for this season? Has that impacted this season at all?"
Anthony Davis: "Of course. Anytime you lose someone like DeMarcus, things change. He was the bad cop last year to my good cop. I pat guys on the back while DeMarcus was just being DeMarcus. Then, of course, we also lost Rondo. So now when things aren't going right, that's me. There's not on the coaching staff for them to have to drag us through the mud. I'm now both in our lockerroom vocally. It feels good too because these guys want to follow you. They want to achieve what they know they're capable of. It's my role now definitively to lead from all perspectives. I took on the role."
Rachel Nichols: "Well you now have definitively written the check when you said earlier you want to be THE guy. You proved it some with how you started this season, but are you now ready to go back out there and cash it?"
Anthony Davis: "Oh yeah. I'm ready to cash it out there in every bank across the US, maybe even across the World. We'll have to see on that."
by wdt92 on Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:20 pm
by wdt92 on Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:23 pm
by wdt92 on Tue Aug 11, 2020 5:15 pm
by wdt92 on Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:48 pm
by wdt92 on Wed Aug 12, 2020 11:44 am
Adrian Wojnarowski: "Well, I think everyone saw what went down with Anthony Davis during the game last night with him going down as he did on that right ankle. Ultimately, all reports are indicating that there are no tears or breaks. Anthony Davis immediately was rushed to the medical staff and saw more doctors this morning. Most opinions coming back to the Pelicans are that the injury is a high ankle sprain and Davis is expected to miss anywhere from one to two weeks of the season with his return suspected to be around November fourteenth. From all that we have been told, the general consensus around the Pelicans front office and coaching staff is that AD will not be rushed coming back and will be resting and recovering the full duration of time that medical personnel gives. Now, while that is good news from what many thought the injury could have been last night, what that means for the Pelicans going forward will probably not be positive with Davis going down. AD has been clearly the engine to this team in their four-to-two run to start the season. He has had an MVP caliber start with his thirty-five points, fourteen rebounds, and league-leading three-point-four blocks a game. Now, following the loss last night to the Warriors after his injury, the Pelicans look to be having a tough schedule going forward without AD. As a reminder, their upcoming schedule includes the Timberwolves, the Raptors, and the Thunder who are all well over five-hundred right now."
by wdt92 on Wed Aug 12, 2020 10:36 pm
by wdt92 on Fri Aug 14, 2020 7:28 pm
Dan Patrick: "So, Charles, changing subjects. One of the more interesting and apparently controversial statements you made earlier this year, was your belief that the Pelicans weren't going to make the Playoffs. Looking now with them being right at five-hundred and the team having a big night against Karl-Anthony Towns last night on ESPN, have you changed that prediction?"
Charles Barkley: "Well, first off Dan, I don't believe anything I said was out of line back a few weeks ago before Anthony Davis went down. Listen, I think AD is extremely talented, and one of the best players our the league today. He has had a terrific season. I think a lot of people now are too sensitive. All I said was that I think a team wasn't going to make the Playoffs and I had a lot of people come to tell me how that was offensive to the work Anthony Davis has put in. I don't think people remember, but I was pretty good back in my day on a team that stunk. I love Philadelphia, I love the fans, but man we couldn't get out of our cars before we were down ten that year. So I know a thing or two about having to carry responsibilities and it not always working out. So, listen Dan, I think Anthony Davis is terrific, but I think the Pelicans are very dependent on him to get wins and I don't think that will work well getting to the Playoffs. Do you realize, this season so far, that Anthony Davis has only put up less than thirty points twice? Once against the Jazz, which really beat him down and once to the uh, I think it was the Nets. In that game, I think everyone could tell he was coasting and was starting to get tired. That is incredible and I don't want to say AD isn't an MVP candidate so far, because he definitely is. What's more glaring to me though, is that when he did put up less than thirty, the Pelicans are one-and-one. That's all I am saying. I don't think AD can sustain his streak of thirty a night for too much longer and I think that the Pelicans without his output will have problems winning."
Dan Patrick: "Well, Charles, for the record, I agreed with you then and still do. I think New Orleans isn't very deep."
Charles Barkley: "They really aren't Dan. Now to make clear, everyone in the NBA can play. Ain't no one there who can't play. But outside of maybe Jrue and Julius Randle, both who I really like, that team has a hard time scoring if AD doesn't have a monster night. I just don't like them over say Minnesota or Portland who I think has a deeper team to get them farther than New Orleans."
Dan Patrick: "That is interesting you say you like Randle, as this season he has really reminded me a little bit of you with how he attacks. He's catching a lot of rebounds off the glass and just driving into traffic."
Charles Barkley: "I don't know about that now. He needs a few more rebounds and pounds to be me." [laughs] "He really is playing well though, but I just think the Pelicans just need more talent to really compete. They have a terrific guy and some great 'others' as Shaq likes to call them, but there needs to be a secondary guy in my opinion before the Pelicans can be taken seriously."
Dan Patrick: "Once again to remind listeners we are here with Charles Barkley, and Charles let's now change subjects to talk-"
by wdt92 on Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:28 pm
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