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