NBA Insider says Anthony Davis is playing like an MVP without LeBron James this season.
At 5-11 on the season, there hasn't been much good going on in the world of Lakerland. But even in the middle of all the rain and clouds, there is a reason to be optimistic if you're a Lakers fan, and that reason is Anthony Davis.
For most of his tenure as a Laker (aside from his 2020 bubble run), AD has been pretty underwhelming. Besides dealing with several injuries, Davis used to settle for a lot of jump shots during games and it just completely negated away some of his biggest strengths.
But with LeBron James out of the lineup this season, Davis has been lighting it up on the court with several huge statistical performances. Even in the loss to the Suns on Tuesday, Davis was amazing with 37 points, 21 rebounds, 5 steals, and 5 blocks on the night.
NBA Insider Says Anthony Davis Is the Key To The Lakers' Success
The exceptional play has gotten a lot of attention, including from ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski, who had this to say about Davis' recent play:
"This is the all-world player that the Lakers traded for and traded so much of their future for and did with a championship with in the bubble. That performance: 30, 20, 5, 5, nobody's ever put a line like that up. And certainly, without LeBron James, who has missed the last five games, he has put up all-NBA, MVP-like numbers. You get LeBron Jame back here soon, I think the hope for L.A. is they could be a more competitive team with Anthony Davis leading the way."
Woj goes on to point out how this is the formula the Lakers wanted from the beginning. With LeBron James at 38 years old, it should be Anthony Davis who is leading this Lakers team moving forward.
"This was the play all along," said Woj. "That LeBron James would take a back seat to Anthony Davis and that as he got closer to 40, this team would be built around him. We certainly have seen that, at least int his stretch."
What Davis is doing isn't all that surprising. This is exactly what he was doing in New Orleans and exactly what he did a few years ago in the 2020 bubble. But the big question with Davis has never been his game, it's been about his health. How long can he stay healthy?
So far, he seems to be doing well enough -- even if he's not quite 100% healthy.
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