30 NBA Players in 30 Days: Anthony Davis
We’ve reached double digits! Day 10 of our NBA countdown brings us to the bright and sunny city of Los Angeles to focus on the Lakers and star big man, Anthony Davis. Davis broke NBA Twitter when a video of him was released saying that he hasn’t touched a basketball since April 5th. Considering the last 2 seasons for Davis and the Lakers have been a disappointment mostly because of Davis’ lack of consistency to stay healthy and on the floor playing. With a drama-filled, frustrating year last year for the Lakers, especially with the addition of Russell Westbrook, the team looks to bounce back and Davis is right at the center of this upcoming season.
Why Davis more than LeBron James or Russell Westbrook? We just don’t have enough evidence from the last 2 seasons from Davis that he is the same elite, top 5 player he was back during the 2019–2020 season when he was dominant in the NBA Bubble. He has only played 76 total games between the last 2 seasons. Last year, Davis posted 23.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 3.1 APG, 53.2 FG%, 18.6 FG3%, and 2.3 BPG in only 40 games. The shooting from outside the paint was the main issue for Davis when he was playing last season. For a player who was an elite pick and pop big man especially from the mid-range, he shot well below league average from around the free throw line and on the entire left side of the floor. One theory for his shooting struggles was his weight gain. Before the last season, Davis bulked up and brought his weight up. By planning to improve in other areas with gaining weight, he seemingly became a less efficient and slower player. I assume he gets into better shape for this season, finding the balance between strength and mobility.
Everything is on the table for the Lakers. LeBron James isn’t getting any younger, and his chances to contend with Michael Jordan as the best player of all time relies heavily on Davis’ health and production. Also, playing barely half of the season last year with the big addition of Russell Westbrook means there could still be a ton of growing pains with having all 3 players on the floor this season. Davis does not have to be the best player on the floor every night, but his availability and consistency is the huge swing factor for the Lakers. We all know how great he can be, and it’s easy to forget about what he did in that 2020 season because of the state of the NBA during that time with the bubble, and obviously having the most polarizing star in LeBron James leading the team.
How many more years can LeBron be the focal point of the Lakers when Davis hasn’t even turned 30 yet and is clearly still in the prime of his career? There has to be a point where he takes the reign as the best player, and that point could be now. LeBron is the face and public figure of the team and will always be more famous than Davis, but the gap between the two may close faster or turn towards Davis with an MVP type season. As one of the newest members in the NBA’s Top 75 list, he has to go out and show us why he deserves to be talked about among the best in the league.
