Last season, New Orleans paired Davis with fellow shot-blocker Greg Stiemsma for 570 minutes, during which the Pelicans' defensive rating was 3.3 points better than its season mark. Asik is about two tiers above Stiemsma as an interior defender. And so he and Davis should spend about three times as many minutes on the floor together. The Pelicans' performance on the defensive end should see a big boost as a result.
The addition of Asik is a big reason the Pelicans may be a breakout team this coming season.