Anthony Davis is arguably the second-best basketball player on earth. Kendrick Perkins was a pretty solid basketball player at his peak, but never anything beyond that.
However, Perkins has been in the NBA much longer than Davis has – he has eight seasons under his belt compared to Davis’s three. This was apparently enough of a reason for the New Orleans Pelicans to sign Perkins to a one-year deal. His main objective in New Orleans? “Mentor” the future league MVP, according to ESPN.
Sources told ESPN.com that Perkins and the Pelicans were finalizing a deal Tuesday night to bring him to New Orleans on a one-year contract for the veterans minimum.
The Pelicans see a role for Perkins serving as a mentor to Anthony Davis, a source told ESPN.com’s Royce Young.
This really does seem a bit…unnecessary. Sure, a team as young as the Pelicans can always use an injection of veteran savvy, but bringing in someone specifically to mentor a guy who had the 11th-highest PER ever last season and carried his team to the playoffs doesn’t make a lot of sense. Maybe this would be justified if Davis had some kind of off-the-court issues, but that’s not the case, as Davis is acclaimed for his work in the community.
Perkins may just be around to constantly remind Davis that he is one of the best basketball players on earth. This was his approach as a Cleveland Cavalier with LeBron James last year, and considering that team made it to the Finals behind a monster postseason from James, the big man obviously served a worthwhile purpose. Maybe he’ll be able to do the same thing with Davis.
(via ESPN)
