There was a feeling heading into last year’s playoffs Anthony Davis might be ready to take the baton from an aging LeBron James as Los Angeles Lakers’ best player and team leader. After last night’s big game, that feeling is back.
No disrespect to LeBron James and what he’s accomplished throughout his illustrious career, but there’s a point when the Lakers’ championship hopes need to focus on their 28-year old rather than their 36-year old superstar. Maybe James will win another dramatic injury and performance battle with Father Time to lead the Lakers to his 5th and the team’s 18th championship but having Anthony Davis back playing like a Finals MVP is great news.
LeBron James won Finals MVP last season averaging 29.8 points, 11.8 boards, 8.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.5 blocks in 39.4 minutes per game while shooting 59.1% from the field, 41.7% from three, and 66.7% from the line. That overshadowed a great Finals by Davis, who averaged 25.0 points, 10.7 boards, 3.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.0 blocks in 38.2 minutes per game while shooting 57.1% from the field, 42.1% from three, and 93.8% from the line.
Last night, Davis gave us a preview of what to expect from him in this year’s playoffs, posting 42 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks while shooting 48.1% from the field, 20.0% from three, and 88.2% from the line. Over the last 2 games without LeBron James, Anthony Davis has averaged 39.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks while shooting 50.0 from the field, 37.5% from three, and 78.1% from the line.
Those are Finals MVP caliber stats from Anthony Davis, numbers we frankly have not seen at all this regular season. They’re not only a testament AD is 100% healthy but also may finally be ready to take that baton from LeBron. For Lakers fans who’ve seen their championship aspirations fall as the team fell all the way to 7th seed forcing participation in the league’s new Play-In Tournament, that is the best news they could possibly hear at this point.
In a Covid-crippled, injury riddled, schedule compressed season, the Lakers have already been written off by most pundits as they’ve plummeted in the Western Conference standings and the top power rankings for the league. Laker haters are ecstatic over the prospect of LA having to play Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors and then possibly the Memphis Grizzlies or San Antonio Spurs just to make the cut to get into the NBA playoffs.
The last thing the angry haters and hungry competitors want to see is a healthy Anthony Davis motivated to prove to everybody he is ready to take the baton from LeBron James as the LA Lakers’ best player and team leader. Hobbled by the lingering injuries from the bubble, Davis has struggled with his shooting and defense most of this season before sitting out 30 games to get his calf and Achilles 100% healed. Hearing he’s back is going to be scary.
Couple Anthony Davis’ great play the last few games with the encouraging news LeBron James also appears to be 100% healthy and will be returning either tomorrow against the Knicks on Wednesday against the Rockets. Suddenly, the Lakers no longer look like a team in the midst of an injury crisis with their two Superstars. Now the rest of the NBA needs to face the reality the Lakers are their biggest hurdle to winning the championship.
The possibility Anthony Davis could elevate his game to another level and become the Los Angeles Lakers’ best player and team leader and steal the Finals MVP award from LeBron James is something that’s going to happen. While it looked like that was a long shot for this year as both Anthony and LeBron suffered major injuries, the situation has dramatically changed. The Lakers are suddenly back in the hunt for their 18th NBA championship.
Everything is about timing and there could be no better time for Anthony Davis to take the baton from LeBron James and become the Los Angeles Lakers’ best player, team leader, and Finals MVP than this year’s playoffs.
How quickly the championship hopes and aspirations of the Los Angeles Lakers can change with a statement performance from Anthony Davis and encouraging news LeBron James is finally feeling zero pain in his ankle after hard cuts and drives.
We’ve always said the Lakers ability to repeat will depend on how healthy and ready to play LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be. What we haven’t speculated at all this year was what would happen if Anthony Davis was ready to elevate his game to the next level and challenge LeBron James to be the Lakers best player, team leader, and winning of the Finals MVP award.
With LeBron still recovering from the high ankle sprain, there could be no better time than these playoffs for Anthony Davis to demonstrate he’s ready to take the baton from LeBron and become the team’s #1 option at both ends in the playoffs. This totally changes the dynamics of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
LeBron is the ultimate augmentor. He makes good players better and great players greater. It’s why he can be dangerous on a team with solid role-players and Kevin Love or in future HOFers in D-Wade and Chris Bosh. It’s why he and Davis compliment each other better than any of those names. He’s like all three of those players rolled into one but with better defense than any of them brought individually.
I think that AD could very well win the NBA Finals MVP but it’ll be fueled by the skill, power and tenacity of LeBron James, one way or the other. I always felt like Pau ought to have won the Finals MVP in the last one he and Kobe brought home. He was better statistically in almost every way. But what was true then is true today: the player that is the engine, that drives the team forward, is generally the MVP. Still a long road yet to travel.
I’m not trying to throw shade at LeBron. Agree with everything you said but I also think LeBron wants AD to elevate his game and take the baton from him. It’s part of why he brought him here to LA rather than a superstar his age. Bron’s not going to leave the Lakers in the same situation as Miami or Cleveland. He’s ending his career as a Laker and wants to create a legacy that extends his team, the LA Lakers.
I also think LeBron is most interested in the rings, the championships, the primary measuring stick when it comes to GOAT arguments. He wants 7 to pass Kobe and MJ for totals and equal Kobe and Magic as Lakers.
I think if LeBron doesn’t play well enough to be the clear-cut mvp of the team then we probably aren’t winning the title.
Also gotta remember that the award is voted on by an 11 member media panel and it’s done kinda hastily immediately after the last game. Lebron’s stronger personality and status gives him a huge advantage.
There’s also the fact that LeBron is nearing the end of his career whereas AD is 8 years younger so AD is going to have to have a dramatically better Finals to win over LeBron. Based on what we’re seeing right now, I think there’s a good chance that could happen. It’s something that will happen. The only question is whether this is the year.