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Anthony Davis coronation as the Next Big Thing was over last season before the save-the-dates could be distributed. After a summer of MVP hype and heavy promotion by the NBA, most notably via booking the Brow for all three of its marquee regular-season slates, what was supposed to be The Year of AD began with the budding superstar starting next to Nate Robinson against the reigning champs and rolled, rather unmercifully, downhill from there. Davis potential at one point seemed limitless, but by the end of the New Orleans Pelicans slide from 45 to 30 wins, even his first big payday fell short of expectations.A year after Alvin Gentrys champagne-soaked entry, the hangover lingers. Davis received just two third-place votes in ESPNs early MVP projections for the 2016-17 season, and his Pelicans, after an offseason spent identity-shifting the supporting cast with a group of self-made grinders, are expected to finish three spots below the postseason cutoff.So while New Orleans deservedly celebrates its winning bid for the 2017 All-Star Game, its possible that Davis, who finished ninth last season in fan voting among Western Conference frontcourt players, may again need to sweat out a spot in the main event instead of automatically assuming the role of unofficial host.Or maybe everything is aligning for All-Star weekend to serve as some scaled-down version of that long-awaited coming-out party.A leap all the way back to the front of the line is unlikely. MVP recipients teams have won 61.5 games on average, meaning the Pelicans, who finished 30-52 last season, would have to double their win total in 2016-17. Which is possible, but not probable: A turnaround of 30 wins or more has happened just five times before and twice in the past decade-plus -- the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns and 2007-08 Boston Celtics, both of which were spurred by the addition of an MVP in free agency.The Pelicans have taken quite the opposite approach, swapping high-profile scorers for high-level role players to space the floor and finally plug a defense that has ranked among the leagues bottom third throughout the Davis era. While a far cry from the fever dream of adding Kevin Durant, the hope is that a few able bodies more befitting coach Alvin Gentrys preferences -- plus a prayer for improved health after last seasons prodigious body count -- will be enough to unleash the MVP-caliber player already in house.Thats whats so often lost in the discussion of Davis: The historic production at such a young age elicited all sorts of wild fantasies for the future, but his reality already warranted Executive Platinum status. While the Brow brand took off in earnest at some point during the 2014-15 season -- likely while suspended in air for that double-clutch, game-winning 3-pointer in Oklahoma City -- talk of Davis emerging as the leagues top player can be traced back as early as the start of his sophomore season. Even last season, his raw production was eerily similar to the season prior, when he finished fifth in MVP voting:The difference, of course, lies in the details: Davis played a career-low 61 games, shot a career-worst 49.3 percent and turned in the 16th-best defensive real plus-minus at his position as the Pelicans slunk to their lowest win total since Davis rookie season.The downshift in outlook, both for Davis and the Pelicans, has certainly been a disappointment; with the NFLs Saints mired last year in a repeat 7-9 season, fans and staffers quietly savored the opportunity to finally carve out their own place in the sports hierarchy. But this summers purge of Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, the last vestige of a time before Davis, has at least provided the team with something of a clean slate. While team brass may fret over the repercussions of another season in the draft lottery, the unburdening of external expectations could possibly lead to a renewed appreciation of some of the feats -- the League Pass Alert performances, the athleticism and ferocity unleashed on lobs, the touch and skill of a guard from a gangly giant -- that helped push Davis to the precipice to begin with.If anything, the recalibrated roster could provide more of a platform than ever before. Amid the league-high 42 different starting lineups New Orleans trotted out last season, Davis and Jrue Holiday utilized more offensive possessions than at any point in their careers. With Anderson and Norris Cole out, Tyreke Evans on the outs, and ball-moving, tertiary options like Buddy Hield, Solomon Hill, ETwaun Moore and Langston Galloway in, the onus should be on, and thus a greater opportunity to rack up numbers will be present for Davis.Maybe he cant regain the overwhelming momentum for his MVP candidacy or even get back on the ticket next season, but there will be plenty of chances to remind everyone of why such outsized expectations were placed upon Davis in the first place. Custom NCAA Shirts . -- Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis was charged Thursday with driving while intoxicated, a day after he was suspended for an NFL substance-abuse policy violation. Custom North Carolina Tar Heels Jerseys . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. http://www.collegecustomjerseyscheap.com/ . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. Wholesale Custom College Jerseys . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. Custom College Jerseys . The nimble-footed quarterback got his wish, dashing through the snow and a weary defence all the way into the NCAA record book. RALEIGH, N.C. -- Terry Henderson scored 25 points to help North Carolina State beat Fairfield 99-78 on Sunday.Dennis Smith Jr. added 17 points and five 3-pointers for the Wolfpack (9-2), who won their fourth game in a row.NC State shot 53 percent from the floor and made 13 of 25 3-point attempts.Abdul-Malik Abu scored 14 points, and Torin Dorn and Omer Yurtseven had 12 points each for the Wolfpack.NC State led 48-39 at halftime after seizing control with a 19-0 run midway through the first half.Fairfield went scoreless for more than six minutes as NC State built its lead. The Wolfpack made four 3-pointers, including two by Henderson, during the flurry.Tyler Nelson scored 23 points to lead Fairfield (5-4), which dropped its third consecutive game.Jerry Johnson Jr. added 17 points, and Curtis Cobb had 14 points for the Stags.BIG PICTUREFairfield: The Stags came out hot after a 12-day break from game action,, making seven of their first 11 field goal attempts, but they couldnt maintain the pace.dddddddddddd They continue a difficult portion of their schedule that includes only one home game in the month of December.N.C. State: Short-handed for much of the season, the Wolfpack got a chance to flex their muscles at full strength for the second game in a row. N.C. State once again showcased its ability to score inside and from the perimeter, but defensive improvement remains a necessity as conference play approaches.UP NEXTFairfield: The Stags take on their second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference opponent when they play Boston College on Wednesday night in Uncasville, Conn.N.C. State: The Wolfpack take on McNeese State on Thursday night in the fifth-game of a six-game homestand. ' ' '