Anthony Davis has been at his best this season. After struggling in the first couple of games, the Lakers big man has finally found his feet. That footing came when an injury struck LeBron James, something we are now slowly getting used to. The Los Angeles Lakers fanbase wanted AD to play this way, and he’s finally doing it.
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Davis brought this same intensity when he first joined the Lakers—Bron and Ad were among the best duos in the league. In just three years, this dynamic duo has established itself as a permanent fixture on the treatment table. Anthony Davis has always been frail, but watching LeBron go down easily is tough.
But this season, the power forward/center has shown that he is not made of just glass; he’s tempered now. A few niggles here and there do not keep him from playing. Over the past five games, these are his stat lines: 37-18, 38-16, 30-18, 37-21, and 25-15. That is 167 points and 88 rebounds in five games. And it’s not just these numbers—he’s contributed to four wins out of five.
Davis, with these numbers, has directly contributed to 4 out of the 6 wins the Lakers have mustered this season, and he was great even when they lost to the Suns. The monks have finally given him his powers back!
LeBron on AD since he’s been out: “A.D. was the best player in the league the last 4 or 5 games.”
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) November 26, 2022
Anthony Davis needs to take the keys to the Lakers’ chariot now – LeBron James clearly cannot be the main man for much longer
LeBron James is a beast when healthy, but these days he rarely is. And even when he does play, he appears rusty, uneasy, and disorganized. Although he is steadily succumbing to age, Nike gives us hope that there is yet time. Technically, there is, but the old-fashioned magic is disappearing.
LeBron says he felt “pretty good” after scoring 21 points in his return to the court after missing the previous five games. pic.twitter.com/O7Lws2FjaX
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 26, 2022
The King is almost 8 years Anthony Davis’ junior. It’s time for LA to be ruled by the Prince of the Brow. Davis has around 3–4 healthy seasons left given the way he gets hurt before his pace slows down like a basketball in snow. He must assert himself at this point. The capacity has always been there; now it simply has to be realized.
Also Read: “Every day, I Demand More From Myself”: Michael Jordan Once Shared His Secret To Becoming the GOAT
Russell Westbrook’s performance seems to directly correlate to the King’s return
Over the past 5–6 games, Russell Westbrook seems to be a man on a mission; he has been playing like the sixth man of the year. With 10+ assists from the bench, the form and confidence seemed to improve with each game. And in the first game back, LeBron’s presence seems to have diminished his output.
With only 3 points, it is his lowest total in the past couple of weeks. The trio does not seem to coexist well, and the gamble of having a “3-6-0” view has backfired. One of them has to step up, and so far, it seems to be Brodie doing all the giving. He deserves more time to play his way, but the presence of the King means nobody can challenge for the seat.
