Anthony Davis scores 55 points as Lakers begin trending in the right direction

Anthony Davis scored 55 points in Sunday's win over the Washington Wizards, giving him 99 points in his past two games. The Lakers have won three in a row and eight of their last 10.

Because of Davis, Los Angeles is trending in the right direction for the first time this season. He's performing at an MVP level during his past nine games, averaging 35.3 points and 15.6 rebounds per game.

The Lakers started the season 2-10, threatening to hand Victor Wembanyama to the New Orleans Pelicans on a silver platter. That doomsday scenario is no longer a concern after Davis's recent hot streak. 

He's playing at the level he's always been capable of when healthy. That's been a caveat throughout his career, beginning in New Orleans and following him to Los Angeles. 

He played in 76 out of a possible 154 regular season games during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons but has played in 20 of 22 games this season. A healthy Davis can change the outlook of the Lakers' season and the MVP race.

Los Angeles (10-12) is 12th in the western conference but only two games back of sixth-place Golden State Warriors. The west is foggy, and Davis can start clearing things up by continuing at this level. Scoring 35 points a night might not be sustainable, but it feels like it's only a matter of time before Los Angeles pulls the lever on a deal to bring in reinforcements. 

Before this stretch, it didn't seem wise for the Lakers to trade away its future for a chance to qualify for the play-in tournament. Davis has tweaked that equation with his torrid pace. If this is the new normal in Los Angeles, it's not unreasonable to think this team can compete for a top-six seed. Bringing in pieces for a playoff run while LeBron James is on the roster and Davis is playing like this is a no-brainer.

A quarter of the way through the season, Davis is looking like the player Los Angeles traded for during the 2019 offseason. That hasn't always been the case, but he's finally becoming everything the Lakers dreamed he would be.