Warriors' Green says Pelicans' Davis could beat Harden for MVP
The Houston Rockets' 17-game win streak would seem to make James Harden even more of a favorite to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player award this season, but one of his rivals isn't convinced.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green said Thursday that he thinks New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis has been even more remarkable lately and could make a late-season push for the award.
"Houston is having a good (season), but I'm most impressed with New Orleans," Green said after the Warriors' Thursday shootaround, according to ESPN.
"With some of the games they won, with some of the numbers that AD has put up, has been incredible and they're doing that without DeMarcus (Cousins). I think there was kind of a consensus around the world that once DeMarcus went out, that they'd struggle, and yet, AD is putting them boys on his back. ... That's impressive."
The Pelicans went 1-5 in the aftermath of losing Cousins to season-ending Achilles surgery. However, now they have won 10 straight, with Davis carrying the load much of the time.
Davis, who sprained his ankle in a win over the Kings on Wednesday, is reportedly doubtful to play against the Washington Wizards on Friday.
For the season, Harden leads the league in PER (player efficiency rating) at 30.21. Davis is next 28.90, just ahead of LeBron James' 28.19 and Steph Curry's 27.92.
Harden is averaging 30.9 points, 8.9 assists and 5.2 rebounds, all above his career averages, for the league-leading Rockets.
Davis, meanwhile, is averaging 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game.
"If (New Orleans) keeps winning at the rate they're winning and he keeps playing at the rate he's playing, who knows what happens," Green said of Davis.
"What I will say is, James has been second two times. And both of those years, he's lost to like historic seasons. The season of Steph's year, Steph was just off the chart. And then Russ (Russell Westbrook) had like 57 triple-doubles last year. The two years that he's come in second, he's lost two in like these historical years."
--Field Level Media
