Anthony Davis was a popular pick to win the MVP this year, taking a leap from his breakout season last year, when he put the Pelicans on his back and brought them to the playoffs. Davis, averaging 20.8 points and 10 rebounds through four games, might already be out of the running.

Davis’ production so far is near the top of the league, so that is not his issue. In an effort to become a more complete player, however, Davis is hurting his percentages. Davis is taking almost three 3-pointers per game, and he’s connecting at a 36 percent clip. That’s not bad, but it’s not elite either, and his overall field goal percentage is bottoming out at 37.9 percent.

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On top of that, his Pelicans are 0-4. That isn’t fair to Davis, who is playing on a roster that is decimated by injuries, but results matter. It’s early, but he’s been a less efficient version of himself for a club that hasn’t won a game yet.

Davis’ MVP bid has another problem – Stephen Curry. The Warriors point guard is on such a tear that it is looking impossible for there to be any other outcome besides a repeat of last season’s MVP race. The Warriors are tied with the Raptors for the NBA’s best record (5-0), and Curry has yet to score fewer than 25 points in any of those contests.

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He is averaging 35.8 points, 5.8 assists, and shooting an absurd 51.9 percent from downtown. This run seems unsustainable, but the NBA has never seen a shooter quite like Curry before. If he performs at anything approaching this rate for the rest of the season, then he is a lock to win the award again. At the bare minimum, it seems Davis and the Pelicans should be more concerned with winning enough games to contend for a postseason spot , than getting Davis his first MVP award.

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