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Lakers News: Kendrick Perkins Backs Out Of Anthony Davis  MVP Prediction After One Game

It didn't take very long for Kendrick Perkins to back out on his pick

Ryan Menzie

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The Lakers started off their 2023 campaign with a quick loss to the reigning champion Golden State Warriors. The Lakers have clear issues to fix with more shooting help, but NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins has seen enough.

Before the start of the season, Perkins picked Anthony Davis to win the MVP award. After just one game, Perkins has decided to take back his MVP claims for Davis and not because of his level of play.

In fact, Perkins actually liked what he saw from Davis in his first game, but sees the glaring issues around the team as what will hold Davis back (via First Take, ESPN).

"I'll tell you why I'm not picking Anthony Davis as my MVP anymore. It's not that I don't have belief in Anthony Davis, it's the roster he has around him. In order to win the MVP award your team needs to have a winning record. I think Anthony Davis will remind people who they are. But let's face reality, the Lakers are trash. The Lakers can possibly start the season off 0-6 with the schedule they have."

An 0-6 finish is certainly a risk. The Lakers will next take the court tonight against their Crypto.com Arena neighbors, the Los Angeles Clippers. They will then play the Portland Trail Blazers, the Denver Nuggets (twice), and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Perkins is right saying the MVP gets a higher chance of winning the award when they are apart of a winning team, but it's also unfair to count the Davis and the Lakers out after just one game. The Lakers looked efficient and top heavy as they have in previous seasons, but with a couple changes the Lakers may be okay.

The Lakers have a tough schedule to begin the season and it's hard to imagine many teams looking good against a team like the Warriors. Especially on NBA opening day. 

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Ryan Menzie
RYAN MENZIE

Ryan Menzie | Lead Contributor Ryan is an LA Native who has grown up praising the greatest athletes LA has had to offer. A love for sports ranging between basketball, football, volleyball and golf, a future Sports Management Masters graduate, and being engulfed into organized sports since seven years old, the passion and love for sports never ends for Ryan. If the words he writes don't paint the full picture of his true fandom, he will find more ways than one to tell the story and be more than willing to open up a nice LA sports debate with you. Favorite Player: Kobe Bryant  Favorite Moment: Kobe Bryant Final Game. Too many moments to choose from between Derek Fishers 0.4 second buzzer beater, the Lakers 3-peat or game seven against Boston, but can't beat a final memory like Kobe's final game. 

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