Alvin Gentry has seen it before: a great player taking his game from an All-Star level to something more, much more.

Former Suns guard Steve Nash did it, winning back-to-backKia MVPs while Gentry was an assistant on Mike D’Antoni’s staff in Phoenix. And more recently, Stephen Curry did it while Gentry was an assistant on Steve Kerr’s staff with the Golden State Warriors.

So when Gentry, in his second season coaching Anthony Davis with the New Orleans Pelicans, examines his superstar’s game at this stage of his career, it’s easy to see why he believes Davis is destined for that MVP mix.

“The thing for him is having the team success,” Gentry said, “because he gives us everything. Guy averages 30 points, 12 rebounds, leads the league in blocked shots and manages to throw a few assists in there every night. There is nothing he can’t do out there. He’s got it all. I really believe that he does all that he can possibly do and it’s just a matter of us, and I’m thinking if we’re healthy and winning, he’s for sure supposed to be in the MVP talk. But you cant’ do that if you’re not winning, so we just have to get to the point where we have enough personnel around him to do that.”

A three-time All-Star and the league’s leading scorer, Davis cracks the top 10 in this week’s KIA Race to the MVP on the strength of his consistently dominant performances for the Pelicans, winners of four straight games since veteran point guard Jrue Holiday returned to the lineup.

Davis is averaging 31.3 points and 10.7 rebounds through his first 15 games this season, becoming just the second player in the last 40 years to average 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds through their first 15 games.

In short, the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week has been on a tear since Holiday returned.

He scored 38 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out six assists and blocked four shots in a Nov. 18. win over Portland. He lit up the Charlotte Hornets for 38 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks a day later. He missed the second and third quarters of the Pelicans’ blowout win over the Hawks Tuesday with a bruised knee, but still managed 13 points in just 19 minutes.

He saved his best, though, for Wednesday’s matchup against Minnesota and Karl Anthony-Towns, the other players mentioned most often in the debate about the best young big man in basketball. Davis shredded the Timberwolves for 45 points (on 63 percent shooting) and 10 rebounds in another rout. He showed off his shooting touch from all over the floor, knocking down two of his four shots from beyond the 3-point line and nine of 10 from the free throw line.