Davis makes Lowe's (Grantland) All-Star team

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Davis and Cousins are interesting candidates, especially in relation to Drummond’s All-Star case. All three are big men manning the middle for awful defenses, a black mark that could disqualify all of them. But Cousins and Davis offer more diverse portfolios. Both play far larger roles in their teams’ decent-to-very-good offenses. Davis is shooting 53 percent and using a ton of possessions in very different ways, even though he’s still learning the nuances of each of them — pick-and-roll cuts to the rim, shallower rolls where he catches near the foul line and works off the bounce, post-ups, and more. He’s the league’s premier transition big man, he’s a very good foul shooter, and he’s fifth in the entire stinking association in PER.

There is evidence to suggest he’s a positive amid a larger defensive train wreck. Opponents have hit only 45 percent of close shots when Davis is near the ball and the basket, per those data-tracking cameras, an above-average mark. He blocks a higher percentage of opponents’ shots than any player in the league; his arms should count as an extra player. The Pelicans’ rebounding falls apart without Davis on the floor, per NBA.com. Basically: There is scattered evidence suggesting that the Pellies’ awful defense has more to do with Monty Williams’s aggressive schemes, and the limitations of the Brow’s teammates, than with the Brow.

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