Despite the glitchy start to the season, Anthony Davis has proved to be the centerpiece of the Lakers’ recent success. From having his very own historic night on the inaugural In-Season Championship to his last matchup with the Spurs (Wednesday), Davis has been nothing short of spectacular.
This has given rise to the question of whether AD is indeed the key to LA‘s title dreams. Let’s take a look at some trustworthy stats to, maybe, provide an answer.
Anthony Davis’ stats reveal his impact on the team’s success
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A recent post from Basketball Forever on Instagram showcases the numbers that will no doubt shock the viewers. Over the last 10 games, “The Brow” has put up 29.3 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Without AD on the floor, the Purple and Gold are losing by 24 points per game this season, as well.
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When AD is healthy and on the court, it’s easy to see how the Lakers rally behind him. It almost feels like they are willing to go wherever Davis goes and how far he goes. This season, Anthony Davis’ contributions have been key for the team, taking the second position in rebounds per game (12.5) and the third in blocks per game (2.6) in the league this season.
Davis is the entire foundation of what the Lakers are built on
Darvin Ham and the GOAT, LeBron, have stressed that Anthony Davis is the “key” to their championship hopes this season. Their Western Conference Finals were a perfect example of this. The entire team had been relying on “The Brow” to take them over the edge.
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And he did. Los Angeles was a team-low 12.9 points per 100 possessions with James on the floor, while the number changed to a team-high 18.2 points per 100 possessions when AD took center stage. With Bron somewhat officially taking a backseat (not that this season allowed too much for that), Davis is the most obvious face the team will turn to lead them.
With a few choice changes to the roster, Ham has been trying to bring the best of his team’s talents to the forefront. Ultimately, the elephant in the room would be Davis’ availability. Aside from being injury-prone, there have been nights where it almost feels like he’s absent-minded. Since the 2018-19 season, AD hasn’t played 70 regular season games.
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If he continues the feisty streak he’s been displaying these past games, there is no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers are well and truly on their way to another ring.
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