Skip Bayless continues to maintain an anti-LeBron stance. His latest comments about Anthony Davis being the Finals MVP favorite are right on theme with his previous ones.
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The Lakers took Game 4 on the back of an excellent defensive display. Following 2 games in which they gave up 114 and 115 points respectively, they succeeded in keeping the Heat down to a 96 point outing only.
Anthony Davis came up with some immense defensive plays that kept the Lakers on top throughout the game. He was the primary reason Jimmy Butler was unable to take over in the 4th quarter.
Why Skip Bayless thinks Anthony Davis is the Finals MVP favorite
According to Bayless, Davis demonstrated his worth to the Lakers tonight through his +/-. While the big man had a +/- of +17, LeBron James had a +/- of -2 despite winning.
However, +/- is a misleading stat when considered for single games, and a sports analyst of Bayless’s stature should definitely know this.
Anthony Davis had a plus/minus of +17, by far the best on either team. LeBron was a -2. MVP edge so far: AD.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 7, 2020
However, James leads AD in 4 of the 5 major counting stat categories this series. The only advantage Davis has is in the blocks category.
Many media members are known to base their decision on these raw numbers, so clearly Davis is going to be at a disadvantage unless he outperforms James by a huge margin in what remains of the Finals.
Rational NBA fans would agree that Davis has had a slightly better Finals than James. But he’s also had one bad game (Game 3), where he looked much worse than LeBron.
All of these factors will definitely play a role in giving James the edge when the award is to be handed out. That is, of course, assuming that the Lakers win the Finals.
