While LeBron James is the driving force behind the success the Los Angeles Lakers have had in recent seasons and could have this season, the holding force and hub is Anthony Davis. Davis is coming off arguably his best season ever, and he could be poised to repeat that type of performance this season.
He averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocked shots a game during the 2023-24 campaign, and while he was named to the All-NBA Second Team and the All-Defensive First Team, he got snubbed in the Defensive Player of the Year balloting.
New Lakers head coach JJ Redick said recently that he will “empower” Davis as much as Davis wants to be empowered. On ESPN’s “NBA Today,” Richard Jefferson set the bar high for the superstar big man.
.@Rjeff24 has high expectations for Anthony Davis with the Lakers this season š
“AD is in his prime. If he ends his career … he will be the most talented player to end his career without an MVP or Defensive Player of the Year.” š„ pic.twitter.com/z7SLvXtlr5
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 25, 2024
Davis has averaged at least 24 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots a game in seven of his 12 NBA seasons, which is something very few players have ever done. An argument can also be made that he’s the best overall defensive player in basketball. Yet he continues to be underrated or even disrespected by plenty of pundits and fans.
On the other hand, some have called him the key to the Lakers or even their best or most valuable player. Most of the battle for him seems to be staying healthy — he played in a career-high 76 games last season, and all bets are off when it comes to how many games he will appear in during the upcoming season.