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Jim Eichenhofer

After a hectic summer filled with USA Basketball practices and games, as well as a travel itinerary that took him across the country and halfway around the globe, no one would’ve blamed New Orleans Pelicans All-Star forward Anthony Davis for needing an extended breather. Instead, the 21-year-old opted to take only a week of “vacation,” before returning to his workout regimen Tuesday morning, a week prior to the Pelicans’ training camp opening on Sept. 30.

After a winning a gold medal in Spain on Sept. 14, Davis immediately headed to the Pelicans’ team headquarters and practice facility in Metairie. Over the past week-plus, he’s already participated in a USA Basketball press conference with head coach Monty Williams, as well as Tuesday’s alternate-uniform unveiling. While speaking to reporters in his brand-new red uni, Davis sounded eager to get back on the court with his NBA teammates.

“I had about a week off. (Pelicans coaches) wanted me to take more time off, but any basketball player who loves the game is going to be around the game,” he said. “Just being around the game is going to make you want to play. We have guys here who’ve been in the gym doing voluntary workouts, who don’t have to be there. Eric (Gordon’s) back, Jrue (Holiday’s) back, Ryan (Anderson), Tyreke (Evans). So we’re all just trying to work and get better.”

Although Davis has played a lot of basketball lately, he hasn’t suited up in a game for New Orleans since April 6, a span of nearly six months. He sat out the final five games of the regular season after aggravating a back injury.

“Just being back with the guys,” Davis said of what he’s enjoyed most since returning home from the FIBA World Cup in Spain. “We haven’t been playing with each other in four or five months. Just to be back with those guys, making each other better, those are the kind of things that you value. So I’m just happy to be back. Lord willing that we stay healthy, but it’s fun to see all of our guys playing with each other and playing as a unit. Hopefully we can stay healthy the whole season and make a push this year.”

After acquiring a true starting center in Omer Asik in June, Pelicans players believe they have the full complement of parts to compete for a playoff berth in the extremely competitive Western Conference. As a result of playing internationally recently, Williams has suggested that he may somewhat limit Asik’s and Davis’ minutes during preseason games, but the Pelicans will use the next few weeks to prepare for the Oct. 28 regular season opener vs. Orlando.

“We’ve got great talent – we’ve got all of the pieces that we need,” Davis said. “Now it’s about figuring everything out. Our coaching staff does a great job of doing that. When we have training camp and preseason, we’re going to use that to make sure when that first game comes around, we get the ball rolling. … I had a great time over there in Spain. Now it’s time to get back to work.”

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Anthony Davis: ‘It’s time to get back to work’

While the vast majority of NBA players have spent recent weeks working out and participating in informal pickup games, Anthony Davis was testing his expanding game against elite global competition. While other NBA head coaches vacationed or made plans behind the scenes for the upcoming 2014-15 season, Monty Williams was learning from some of basketball’s most accomplished and experienced sideline leaders.

Davis and Williams returned home to the United States this week after their FIBA World Cup gold medal victory over Serbia in Spain. Both are convinced that the experience will benefit them on and off the court this season, as they try to lead the New Orleans Pelicans into the playoffs. Training camp opens Sept. 30.

“I think it keeps you in the groove,” Davis said of practicing and playing with Team USA for a chunk of the summer. “Some guys take a month (off), maybe a month and a half, then go to training camp and try to get in a groove. I’m going to training camp rolling. That’s how I look at it.”

The biggest benefit for Williams may have come from being around the wisdom and guidance of USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski and national team director Jerry Colangelo, as well as longtime Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, a fellow USA assistant.

“I learned how to deal with elite players,” Williams said. “I’ve got this reputation now – I’ve heard it all summer – of how tough I am on guys. The one thing I learned from Coach K, Mr. Colangelo and Coach Boeheim, they didn’t push it down my throat, but they got it across to me to trust my guys more. And I think that’s the thing I thought I did a little bit last year, letting Tyreke (Evans) play more and (play) his game, but that was the thing that I pulled away from this situation. The whole experience was giving guys a little more freedom to play their game, not try to hamstring guys. I thought I did it a little bit, but I think it’s something I’m still working on. I think I can be a lot better at that now.”

Davis believes the experience of having his head coach there, as did Chicago point guard Derrick Rose with Tom Thibodeau, may give the Pelicans’ leaders a jump start on some of their NBA competition. For the 21-year-old Davis, a second gold medal in international play and the chance to team up with elite players was invaluable.

“I got better, not just as a player, but as a person,” Davis said. “Hanging around those (players) and the coaches, you’re going to get better, regardless if you’re playing or not. Having Coach (Williams) there, knowing what I need to work on for the season, was even better, because we got kind of a head start, like Thibs and Derrick did as well.”

Williams: “All of the guys who’ve played in these tournaments, they always go into the season rolling, because they’re in shape, they’re in a groove, and they have a bit of a head start on the rest of the league.”

Prior to and following Sunday’s 129-92 victory over Serbia, Davis and Williams discussed how they hoped to build on their experience when they returned to New Orleans. Williams said the opportunity to celebrate a gold medal with one of his own players was unforgettable.

“That was really cool,” Williams said. “To be able to win a gold medal with him was special. For us to be out on the floor in the pregame, talking about this is where we want to be someday as a (Pelicans) team. And in the postgame, hugging each other and celebrating it and doing all of that stuff was really cool. It was great to represent my country, my family, this organization and the city of New Orleans in a way I could never do outside of the NBA.”

“It was a fun experience,” Davis said. “We had a great time in Spain. We went there to accomplish one goal, and that’s to win a gold medal. That’s what we did. I had a fun time. Now it’s time to get back to work and try to do the same thing here.”

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Anthony Davis, Monty Williams view FIBA World Cup experience as ‘head start’ to Pelicans' 2014-15 season

Pelicans.com

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2014 FIBA World Cup Finals - USA vs. Serbia

In a fitting capper Sunday to what was a dominant performance by USA Basketball throughout the entire FIBA World Cup, the Americans clinched a gold medal by pounding Serbia, 129-92. For New Orleans Pelicans All-Star forward Anthony Davis, it was the latest major accomplishment of what’s already been a decorated career. At the early age of 21, Davis has an Olympic gold medal, as well as one from international basketball’s signature event.

For Pelicans four-year head coach Monty Williams, Sunday’s triumph was the ultimate reward after two straight summers working on Mike Krzyzewski’s USA staff.

USA Basketball has always faced the challenge of trying to become a cohesive team, with less time to do so than many of its competitors. Team USA also dealt with considerable unexpected adversity, after a few projected key contributors withdrew late in the summer, as well as the jarring Aug. 1 injury to Paul George. Despite those obstacles, the United States compiled one of the most impressive runs by any team in international play in recent memory, not once seriously challenged en route to a title. The squad won every game by at least 21 points in Spain, routinely putting together a back-breaking surge that extinguished any hopes of an upset by the opposition.

Davis, who was often USA’s best player in Spain, posted just seven points and four rebounds Sunday, but foul trouble limited him to 14 minutes of action. The 6-foot-10 rising star explained that USA’s play this summer can be at least partly attributed to its phenomenal chemistry, which had been a question mark for American teams prior to this recent era of staggering success.

“I think we did have chemistry from the beginning,” Davis told USABasketball.com prior to Sunday’s title game. “We’re a great ball club. We play together. We share the ball. We make sure that no one is getting down because they’re missing shots. We keep good spirits, so I think we’ve had chemistry from the beginning, and if we didn’t we wouldn’t be here right now."

Davis played a prominent role in getting there. After finishing third in the NBA’s Most Improved Player voting last season, the Chicago native and ’12 NCAA champion took another giant step forward in front of a global basketball audience. Over nine games in Spain, he averaged 12.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. He shot 54.9 percent from the field, part of an unstoppable USA offense that topped the century mark four times out of nine World Cup games, even though FIBA games are eight minutes shorter than the NBA’s 48-minute regulation. With Davis on the court, the Americans outscored their opponents by an aggregate of 155 points.

"It means a lot," Davis said of winning gold. "We came here and worked real hard to try and get this. Everybody played team basketball, and that’s what happens when you play team basketball. I learned to grow as a player. I got a lot of great talent around me, with great players, great coaches and they just taught me how to be a better player and a better person. I learned how to play through adversity, how to stop picking up silly fouls and just become a better player overall. I learned a lot. I been around some of these guys for the second time, and I love playing with these guys and I love playing in this environment."

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Anthony Davis, Monty Williams win gold at FIBA World Cup

There was discussion earlier this offseason that, in addition to the muscle and weight that Anthony Davis has gained, he also may still be growing height-wise. Although there’s been no confirmation that the New Orleans Pelicans All-Star is now taller than his listed 6-foot-10, teammate Ryan Anderson heard that even Davis’ limbs have somehow expanded.

“You hear the stories that his arms have grown 12 inches in the summer and that he’s 7-foot-8 now,” a mock incredulous Anderson joked. “But I’m excited to see him (at training camp in late September). Is the myth real?”

A final chance for basketball fans to see what all of the Davis offseason hype is about takes place Sunday, when USA Basketball faces Serbia in the FIBA World Cup title game (2 p.m. Central, ESPN2). The 21-year-old Davis has played a bigger-than-many-expected role, as the Americans have romped through competition in Spain, winning all eight games by at least 21 points. Their average margin of victory at the World Cup is 32.5 points.

On a national team filled with elite talent and dangerous offensive players, Davis is Team USA’s second-leading scorer at 13.0 points per game (he’d been the club’s top point producer throughout the entire World Cup, until James Harden overtook him Thursday, with an average of 13.1). He is also America’s second-leading rebounder and its No. 1 shot-blocker by a wide margin.

“I think it’s just another level. He just keeps on improving,” Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday said, before shaking his head at Davis’ prominence on such a loaded roster. “He seems like the go-to guy on the national team, and that’s a big deal – you’ve got some of the best players in the USA on that team, and he’s kind of the go-to guy?”

With a vast array of other weapons, Davis hasn’t always been featured in USA’s halfcourt attack, but he’s still found plenty of ways to score, whether it’s hitting the offensive boards or finishing fast breaks off of the many turnovers he and his teammates have created. His versatility has also been impressive: Few 6-10 players are able to consistently make perimeter shots, but also outquick defenders or jump over them for soaring tip-ins and dunks.

“I think he’s just playing the way he played in the season,” said Pelicans wing Tyreke Evans, who combined with Davis in the second half of 2013-14 to spearhead numerous wins. “He’s knocking down the mid-range shot where he’s a threat, anything from 18 feet. He’s pretty much tough to stick, because he can go by you, or he can shoot the (perimeter) shot. He’s always been good on defense. He’s doing that on the USA team. He’s one of the leaders out there.”

Following Sunday’s gold medal game, Davis and his USA teammates will have about two weeks to rest before reporting to NBA training camps at the end of September. ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla has frequently noted that perhaps no NBA player has opened as many eyes as Davis this summer, something that’s been evident to his Pelicans teammates.

“I mean, I’m excited,” Holiday said. “Seeing the way AD’s been playing, that’s real exciting. We thought he had an awesome year last year, but seeing what he can do around the world has been great.”

“The guy continues to just be great,” Anderson said. “I think his confidence just continues to build and build and build, which is great for him and is going to be great for us. He’s just at the ultimate confidence level. He’s a guy who’s going to come back and want to prove that he’s that good and he’s doing it during the summer already right now. He’s always fun to watch.”

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Anthony Davis, USA seek FIBA World Cup title Sunday

1)      With Pelicans training camp roughly 2 ½ weeks away, players have been working out voluntarily at the team’s practice facility, using the time partly to bond on and off the court.

2)      Pelicans assistant coach Randy Ayers spoke with New Orleans media members Thursday after the workout, as did multiple players including Ryan Anderson, Tyreke Evans, Jimmer Fredette and Jrue Holiday.

3)      Also in Pelicans.com’s video section, in a humorous interview, USA Basketball standout Anthony Davis sat down to answer 10 questions with Jim Rome.

4)      Davis and Team USA posted a comfortable 96-68 victory over Lithuania yesterday in the FIBA World Cup semifinal round. The United States advanced to Sunday’s championship game (2 p.m., ESPN2).

5)      USA will learn its title-round opponent later today, when France plays against Serbia (3 p.m., ESPN3.com).

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Five things to know about the Pelicans on Sept. 12

Entering the 2014 FIBA World Cup, many analysts predicted that the USA Basketball men’s team would face Spain in the championship game, with a few tough tests along the way. Neither has been true: Spain was eliminated in the quarterfinal round, and the Americans have won each of their eight games by at least 21 points.

Team USA authored another victory almost entirely devoid of drama Thursday, using a huge third-quarter surge to build an insurmountable lead over Lithuania, en route to a 96-68 triumph. USA advanced to Sunday’s championship game (2 p.m. Central, ESPN) and will face the winner of Friday’s France-Serbia semifinal.

Lithuania played an encouraging first half, trailing just 43-35, but the United States went on an 18-2 run early in the third quarter to go up 61-37. Although USA was an overwhelming favorite to win, it registered a rare blowout victory against Lithuania in international competition. In six previous matchups against the tiny European nation, the U.S. was 5-1, with only one of those wins coming by a double-digit margin.

Pelicans All-Star power forward Anthony Davis had a quiet first half, with just two points on 1-for-3 shooting, but like his team, was more productive after the break. Davis finished with eight points (on 4-for-7 shooting), six rebounds and two blocks. His impact was affected slightly by being whistled for two first-half fouls – a teamwide problem for USA. He exited after being called for a fourth personal and a technical foul with 5:49 remaining, but the Americans were already ahead 82-56.

"I think we’re coming out to slow starts," Davis told USA Basketball.com. "We got to do a better job of coming out of the game and putting teams away. We can’t keep coming out, especially in this last game, we know it’s going to be a tough game, the biggest game of the tournament. We got to come out with a lot of energy and a lot of effort."

According to ESPN, no team has won every game of the FIBA World Cup (previously known as the World Championships) by at least 20 points, something the U.S. can accomplish Sunday. USA will learn its next opponent later today, when France and Serbia tip off at 3 p.m. Central. Either way, the Americans know it won't be the formidable foe many had projected.

"I’m not surprised about anything in international competition," USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski said of Spain not reaching the championship round. "All these teams are good. That’s why we haven’t mentioned anybody that we might play, because we don’t know if we might play, that’s the very first thing. We can lose. If we feel we can lose, we feel anybody else can lose because there’s so many good teams. From what I heard, France played a great game against them. France is an outstanding team with all the NBA players that they have; well coached, so really nothing surprises me in international basketball because there’s more then one or two really good teams, there’s a lot of really good teams."

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USA pulls away vs. Lithuania, advances to World Cup final

1)      Today is Sept. 11, a day of remembrance around the country. For the USA Basketball team, the idea of representing the nation takes on even greater meaning, as Monty Williams and Anthony Davis noted during interviews yesterday with the media.

2)      Davis and Team USA will play in the FIBA World Cup semifinal round today against Lithuania at 2 p.m. Central. The game will be televised live by ESPN.

3)      Pelicans players are in Metairie this morning for voluntary workouts. We'll have coverage of the workouts later today on Pelicans.com.

4)      Pelicans.com began its countdown to training camp yesterday at 20 days.

5)      Pelicans 2014-15 tickets are now on sale.

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Five things to know about the Pelicans on Patriot Day

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