Experts are tabbing New Orleans Pelicans Anthony Davis as an early MVP candidate for 2016.

Davis has been projected by Grantland's Zach Lowe to be upcoming season's MVP , according to a report by Sports Illustrated.

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Meanwhile, the Pelican Debrief reported that ESPN Summer Forecast panel had Davis finishing second in MVP voting behind Lebron James.

The same panel also projected Davis will lead the Pelicans to a seventh palce finish in the Western Conference.

Furthermore, Anthony Davis is projected  to fall within the top three for MVP in the next five to seven years.

Davis, who has freakish athletic ability and highly developed skill level for his age, had a break through season last year as the Pelicans made their first playoff appearance since the Chris Paul era.

The Pelicans qualified for the playoffs on the last day of the regular season by beating the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. However, they exited the first round winless against eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

Only a few expected to make the playoffs just one season ago, now the pressure is there for Davis and the Pelicans to deliver amid high expectations.

The first move for the Pelicans was on locking up Anthony Davis to a five-year extension that will begin in the 2016-17 season. 

Then they brought in a new coach in Alvin Gentry and signed forward Bryce Dejean-Jones.

Other than that, the Pelicans brought back the same supporting cast from last year.

Nonetheleess, they could wait for next summer when they can bid for the services of  Nic Batum, DeMar DeRozan, Harrison Barnes, Roy Hibbert and Festus Ezeli, who are all players in or near their primes.  

TagsNew Orleans Pelicans, Anthony Davis, NBA MVP