NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Done Playing Center For New Orleans Pelicans

NBA rumors indicate Anthony Davis won’t be playing center for the New Orleans Pelicans any longer. These NBA rumors come from Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who is looking to protect the best player on the franchise. A report from CBS Sports states that Gentry also wants Davis to expand his range so that he can take a lot of corner three-point shots next season. This is something Davis has been working on in the offseason, and it could be interesting to see how adept he has become at it.

It appears that the Pelicans will take a similar approach to what the San Antonio Spurs have done with Tim Duncan. While he was capable of playing center and likely would have been great at it for years, the team placed Duncan at power forward to protect him. Duncan still saw minutes at center, but didn’t always get asked to “bang” with the bigger guys on defense. That can take a toll on even the best of players over a long career.

These NBA rumors make even more sense when examining the games Anthony Davis has played. In an 82-game NBA season, the most games he has played in his three-year career is 68. It means he has missed at least 14 games a season for the New Orleans Pelicans, with minor injuries sidelining him several times. That is something Gentry wants to avoid, especially with how important he has become to this franchise.

Last season for the Pelicans, Davis averaged 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. His stats show why many NBA analysts consider him the best big man in the game right now. Davis will be just 22-years-old when the 2015-16 NBA season gets started, showing that he also still likely hasn’t reached his full potential. Add in his 53.5 field goal percentage and 80.5 free throw percentage and it’s easy to project he might be the best player in the game very soon.

The value that Anthony Davis brings to the New Orleans Pelicans isn’t just measured in his stats either, as he is one of the most well-liked players in the game. Just having him on the court makes his teammates play better, with the prime example being how he helped the Pelicans get into the 2015 NBA Playoffs. Now head coach Alvin Gentry is making an extremely smart move by protecting his star player, and these NBA rumors should please fans and fantasy basketball owners alike.

[Image Source: Stacy Revere/Getty Images]