Anthony Davis discussed his outlook on the state of the Pelicans season in an interview with Rachel Nichols during the All-Star break. With DeMarcus Cousins out for the season with an achilles injury, Davis could either fold or thrive under pressure. This is what he told Nichols:

“It’s tough, it’s tough. You’ve got to kind of have that Russell Westbrook mentality when KD went out.” Davis said. “Russ just went out there and played. He shot 40 shots sometimes. Whatever it takes for your team to win. And I’m kind of taking that approach.”

Davis has done exactly that — maybe even better. In the month of February, Davis has averaged 34 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 35 percent from three. He’s had five games with at least 40 points in the month. On Monday, he dropped 53 points to go along with 17 rebounds, five blocks and three assists against the Suns. Look, MVP trophies aren’t won in a few weeks — they’re not even won over the course of one or two months. If the season were to stop today, James Harden should be the league’s MVP.

But it doesn’t — there are still about 20 games left to be played. And Davis deserves some real consideration for MVP with the phenomenal season he’s having.

We’ve been overlooking Davis all season long
He wasn’t just incredible on Monday night — he’s been this good all season long. Davis is second behind only James Harden in points per game, second to only Kristaps Porzingis in blocks per game, in the top 10 in rebounds per game, and has a 28.3 player efficiency rating for the season.

Consider his numbers in context, as SB Nation’s The Bird Writes did:

Comparing apples to apples (by possessions, not per game or minute) Davis is actually outperforming peak [Hakeem] Olajuwon. From 1992-1994, Olajuwon averaged 33.6 points and 15.7 rebounds per 100 possessions while posting a 26.3 PER with a 57.1% TS%. Anthony Davis this season is averaging 36.4 points and 14.3 rebounds per 100 possessions with a 28.5 PER and a 61.9% TS%. Anyone who can stand toe-to-toe statistically with Olajuwon from the early-to-mid 1990’s is playing superb basketball.

You don’t build up numbers like that through just one month of stellar play with an increased usage — it takes time and consistency. The Pelicans have struggled to maintain a place in the playoff hunt, but that isn’t because of a lack of trying on Davis’ part. He’s been their best player all season long with Cousins right next to him. Now, without him? He’s taken his game to new heights.

Cousins getting hurt makes Davis an even more compelling candidate
There’s no question that Cousins and Davis were stellar together when Cousins was still healthy. They complimented each other well and created opportunities for one another that they wouldn’t get otherwise. But with Cousins out, Davis has seen an increase in responsibility. Normally, when that comes, production tends to dwindle and Davis’ has a bit. But he’s still managed to somehow be highly effective. His usage rate is up to 33.7 percent, per NBA.com’s stats tool. For reference, it was at 27.4 percent before Cousins went down.

Since that time, Davis’ points per game have increased to 28.2 from 26.4 and his rebounds per game have increased to 11.0 per game from 10.6. He’s going to the free throw line more and is creating opportunities despite being his team’s only source of offense more often than not. That’s very impressive.

Okay, great point. But the Pelicans still aren’t winning enough
I won’t take you through the whole “MVP is an individual award” speech because I don’t really have to. Davis is deserving of MVP no matter how many wins his team has. Seeding could diminish Davis’ case, but that argument becomes weaker when you realize the Pelicans are just 1.5 games back of the Spurs for the three seed and are knocking on the door for home court advantage.

Winning without Cousins was supposed to be an issue, but because of Davis it hasn’t become one. If he manages to get this team with this roster to the point where they might have a game seven at home against anyone, he has to at least be considered for MVP. If they make it to the three seed? There’s no questioning his candidacy. At the end of the day, it’ll be hard to convince voters that James Harden isn’t the MVP at this point. The Rockets are still on fire and Harden is their best player. They might be the best team in the NBA. But could the Rockets survive without Harden? For a short while, probably. Not in the long run.

But the Pelicans without Davis while Cousins is out? They don’t stand a chance. Who wins the award totally depends on what the award means to voters. If its the best player on the best team? Harden is the easy choice. But if we’re talking about a player keeping his team afloat without another star in sight? Davis is the answer.