In a 119-109 win over the Hornets on Sunday, Anthony Davis totaled 36 points, 19 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. It was an outstanding but not all that surprising performance from the Pelicans star, especially considering the Hornets were missing starting center Cody Zeller.
But there was one number that stood out: a big "8" in the assist column. Davis has now dished out eight or more assists four times through his first 22 games. He didn't hit eight assists once in 75 games played last season. He is now averaging 5.0 assists, more than doubling his previous career high of 2.3.
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Beyond his direct assists, Davis is passing more overall and creating additional scoring opportunities for his teammates.
| Davis Stats | Passes Made | Assists | Potential Assists | Assist Points Created |
| 2017-18 | 44.2 | 2.3 | 3.9 | 5.7 |
| 2018-19 | 49.3 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 12.2 |
"A lot of people are trying to take me out," Davis said following the win in Charlotte. "Just gotta pass the ball and trust my teammates. This entire year, they've been doing a good job of making guys respect them, knocking down shots or making the next play."
That's been the key for Davis when it comes to his improved playmaking abilities. He isn't dropping highlight-reel dimes like James Harden or Ben Simmons, but rather trusting his teammates by making the correct reads and simple passes.
"Most of the time he's playing against double teams, and because of that, he has to make the right play," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said. "There are some guys in this league that will force that ball or try to force the action, but with him, he's just gonna take what is available. He's gonna find open guys, and he's gonna make the right play.
"They're taking away a lot of his one-on-one stuff, but I think he's compensating by making the right play and getting guys easy baskets."
In post-up situations, Davis surveys the floor and draws in the defense before hitting a cutting teammate.
Davis also likes to operate in the middle of the floor. He will often trail behind the point guard and take a handoff or dive toward the paint in the pick-and-roll.
He works a terrific two-man game with Jrue Holiday, who is averaging 9.0 assists himself this season, second in the NBA behind only Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (10.1).
"I just think the way that he finds people makes it easier on us, honestly," Holiday said. "Wide open shots, drives to the basket, cuts. He does his thing and makes it easier on everybody else."
Of course, Davis can't do it alone. The assists only add up if the rest of the Pelicans make themselves available when opposing defenses attack.
In the play below, Davis spins off his primary defender, Warriors center Jordan Bell, but Draymond Green is already rotating over to double him. Solomon Hill dives to the middle of the paint and E'Twaun Moore spots up in the corner, giving Davis multiple options.
Stephen Curry doesn't fully commit to Hill and gets stuck in no man's land, leaving Hill all alone for an easy bucket.
"I think with us spacing the floor and cutting and giving him outlets, to be able to see those passing lanes, I think that's just us helping him out, too," Pelicans forward Wesley Johnson told Sporting News. "But he also has a great knack for the game, so his IQ level is high. He knows, for a double team, where they're coming from.
"I know the more we cut, the more we move, it gives him an opportunity to go to work. If they want to double, we can flood in, space the floor out. He does a good job of seeing over the defense and finding us."
New Orleans is currently 13-13, tied with the Jazz for 11th in the Western Conference, but the pass-happy formula is working. The Pelicans own the fourth-best offensive rating in the league (113.4), and they are 7-1 when reaching 30 assists as a team. That's the mark Gentry wants the Pels to hit.
The offensive development and chemistry is nice, but there's no confusion. Davis remains the driving force. The Pelicans are 0-4 without him this season, and the team's offensive rating plummets from 116.2 with him on the floor (top offense in the NBA) to 104.3 with him on the bench (bottom five).
Still, Davis will continue to trust the guys around him and take what the defense gives him. It sounds simple, but it's hard to argue with the results so far.
"In our system, we have guys cutting, guys relocating. And me, [it's] just knowing where guys are gonna be, and then reading the defense," Davis said.
"After that, it's just making the right play."
