Lakers: Was The Demise Of Anthony Davis As An All-NBA Player Greatly Exaggerated?

Anthony Davis has been tearing it up for the Lakers

When the Lakers went out to get Anthony Davis from the Pelicans, the return in investment seemed to immediately pay off despite the injury history that came with the star big man. In just his first season with the team, the Lakers clinched their 17th NBA title. 

Since the 2020 championship, the Lakers have gone 81-90 and have not gone past the first round of the playoffs. In that same span, Davis has appeared in just 92 games.

There was plenty of reason to write Davis off as it seemed impossible for him to be the focal point of an offense throughout an entire season. However, with LeBron James having been out for a week, Davis took over and showed the NBA what he is still capable of. 

The play of Davis has caught the attention of media and the hope among Lakers fans is for Davis to remain a perennial player until the end of the season (via The Ringer's The Ryen Russillo Podcast).

I love that this is happening for Anthony Davis. I get that he isn't the greatest long term bet. I get that he isn't the alpha that all of us wish he'd be. I'm not sure if it's cause LeBron has been out. I'm just happy that he is now reminding is that when he is healthy and right he is no worse than a top 10 player in the NBA and he's still too young to be written out. 

The Lakers still have a steep hill to climb in order to make the postseason, but Davis playing at this high of level at least gives them a chance. There's still a lot more work to be done, but any help James can get in the leadership of this offense, the better it will be for the team.