Ed Davis Ready to Take On Blazers

Ed Davis reportedly wanted to return to the Blazers last summer when Portland President of Basketball Operations Neil Olshey “counseled” him to take the Nets offer. Now, according to Nets Daily, Davis is looking forward to showing the Blazers what they are missing when they play each other on February 21 from Barclays Center:

“You know we got to bust Portland’s ass when we get back. That’s our mindset.” When asked if that was his mindset, Davis didn’t step back. “Oh for sure. I told you, man, if there is one one game we have to win this year, it’s that Portland game. We’ve got to win that Portland game and at Portland.”

The Blazers made the move to clear time for second-year big man Zach Collins, and they may not be eager to face Davis, who has had a typically stellar year on the glass:

Davis has an offensive rebounding percentage that currently ranks in the 99th percentile among all players at his position, per Cleaning the Glass. He’s averaging a career-high 5.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes thus far. The 6-foot-10 big man has had eight offensive rebounds (second-most from any non-starter) off the bench multiple times this season.

Going broader, Davis is third in the league in rebound percentage (career-high 22.1 percent), offensive rebound percentage (career-high 14.1 percent) and in defensive rebound percentage (career-high 30.5 percent). He’s the only player in the league in the top three in all three categories.

After a slow start, the Nets have gone 21-10 since December 5.