Pelicans stars justifying salary numbers with numbers on the court

Anthony Davis erupts for an #NBAPlayoffs career-high 47 PTS, 11 REB, 3 BLK to propel the @PelicansNBA to the 2nd round! #DoItBigger pic.twitter.com/cgy3J47g9i

— NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2018

The concept of earning your keep is notable in all aspects of employment.

It is a staple of the every day business world.

In the world of sports, it often gets prostituted, with many employees earning far beyond their performances.

I am a huge proponent of free enterprise and with everyone negotiating and getting the maximum amount of compensation possible. If an employer evaluates that you are worth it, all power to you.

The financial decisions of employers most often determine the success or lack thereof of said enterprises. Making sound investments will produce sound results.

The sound resonating from Smoothie King Center still lingers today (Sunday), a full day after the New Orleans Pelicans wrapped up the Portland Trailblazers in four games. Appreciative fans turned The Blender into a madhouse, much like we have seen next door at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for New Orleans Saints games.

Everyone loves a winner.

Among the many notables from the game four victory to complete a sweep of the Blazers, Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday tied the NBA record for the most points in league history by a duo in a playoff game with 88.

Back in 1973, John Havlicek and Jo Jo White combined for 88 points in a playoff game for the Boston Celtics. Both are Hall of Fame players.

How impressive was it?

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, one of the best duos in NBA history, never reached the mark, coming close with 87 points in a single game. Only LeBron James and Kyrie Irving have each scored 40 or more points in the same playoff game in the last 18 years. They did so on the biggest stage with James and Irving each scoring 40 in a 112-97 win over Golden State to stave off elimination in game five of the championship series in 2016. The Cavaliers went on to rally to win the series in seven games.

Does anyone remember that Jerry West and Elgin Baylor played together? Ditto for Wilt Chamberlain and West, Chamberlain and Baylor, Chamberlain and Hal Greer? Then, there was Larry Bird with Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish or Dennis Johnson.

Of course, you had Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson and James Worthy, Abdul-Jabbar and Worthy. Remember Isaiah Thomas and Joe Dumars? Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant? James and Dwyane Wade? Kevin Durant and Steph Curry? Klay Thompson and Curry? Tim Duncan and Tony Parker?

Rajon Rondo, who played with a great duo of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, along with another great scorer in Ray Allen with an NBA title team, finished with 53 assists for the Pelicans in the four-game sweep of Portland. In Boston’s 4-2 championship series win over the Lakers in 2008, Rondo had 16 assists in game two but did not reach double figures in assists in any of the other five games.

Speaking of numbers, when Holiday signed a five-year, $126 million contract last summer, the move was questioned diligently by virtually all observers, myself included. It appeared to be overpaying a solid but unspectacular player to stick around for the marriage of Davis and DeMarcus Cousins to serve as a third wheel on the hoped for Rolls Royce of trios in the league.

Holiday was plagued by injuries when he was acquired by New Orleans from Philadelphia in 2013. He was damaged goods.

Let us not forget that Holiday was a good player with the 76ers, an All-Star.

In his four previous seasons in New Orleans, Holiday shot just 45 percent from the field. His best scoring season was 16.8 points per game in the 2015-16 season. The most games he had played was 67 in the 2016-17 season and he missed several games to start that season to care for his wife, Lauren.

This season, Holiday shot 49.4 percent from the field, averaged 19 points per game and played in 81 of 82 regular season games. He was healthy. He was good to very good, even better than he was an All-Star in Philadelphia in 2012-13.

Holiday is completing his ninth season in the league, though he just 27. Now healthy, there is no doubt he is entering his prime. The expectation is that he can play at this level for at least two to three more seasons as he is a consummate professional who keeps himself in great condition and goes about his job in exemplary fashion. He is due over $25 million next season.

Following along the age line, Nikola Mirotic is also 27 and he is completing his fifth season in the league. He is under contract for next season at $12.5 million. He is a good all-around player, a 3-point threat, a solid rebounder and better than expected defender.

Davis is 25 and finishing his sixth season in the league. He is under contract through the 2020-21 season and is due just over $25 million next season. He is clearly among the five best players in the NBA.

DeMarcus Cousins, should he return to New Orleans, is 27 and has eight years in the league. He made just over $18 million this year and will command more on the open market, despite his Achilles injury. He may not reach the max contract level as those returning from the injury he incurred have most often not been as good as before such injuries. Of course, it just takes one admirer to pony up. When healthy, Cousins is the most talented center in the league.

If history is an indicator, Cousins may still get a max contract from New Orleans, which has most often overpaid for free agent talent (see Peja Stojakovic, Solomon Hill, Omer Asik, even Holiday at the time, among others).

To bring back Cousins, the Pelicans will could up in luxury tax territory, another set of numbers to consider. That is a pleasant problem to have.

Tom Benson gave Dell Demps the financing needed to build a playoff team. All indications are that Gayle Benson will do the same and continue the legacy.

The New Orleans Saints had an outstanding season. The New Orleans Pelicans are in the midst of an outstanding season. When pondering numbers, all that matters to fans is the bottom line. That does not refer to the misery of pondering salaries but the ecstasy of counting and enjoying victories. Both franchises have accumulated large quantities of those in this magical season.

In the process, it is clear that both franchises made sound investments in its best players. The results have followed. The numbers add up as star players put up undeniably superb numbers.