Anthony Davis was considered a Top 5 player in the NBA, especially at his peak in the Bubble, when he helped the Los Angeles Lakers to the championship in 2020. With LeBron James showing no signs of declining individually, more deep playoff runs and perhaps even championships were expected for the duo. Still, it hasn’t quite turned out that way for the Lakers.
Davis has always struggled with injuries during his time in the league, and the issues have reared their head multiple times in the past two seasons. This has been a big problem for the Lakers, even though the owner still believes in AD. They failed to make it deep in the playoffs last season and ended up not even qualifying this season.
It feels like somewhat of a missed opportunity for the big man in terms of his career, considering that big men have dominated the league in recent seasons. Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best in the world, Nikola Jokic has won 2 consecutive MVPs, and Joel Embiid has been right up there. Considering that Davis was considered on par with or better than these players, Richard Jefferson spoke on ESPN about what he needs to do to get back into the conversation.
(starts at 1:01 minutes):
“When he [Anthony Davis] left the bubble, it was, ‘He’s a top-five player, and we need to see how long it’s gonna take for him to become the best player in the league. Since then, Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Joel Embiid has surpassed him, [Nikola] Jokic has surpassed him. The Lakers have just regressed every single year.
“We know he’s not this mean, overly aggressive player, but we need to see the aggressive version on Anthony Davis this year because that’s the Lakers. So, to me, there is no player out there that if everyone is looking at because the last two years for the Lakers and for Anthony Davis have been sad.”
If Davis can return to the level NBA fans expect from him, it will also be a big boost for the Lakers, who need to bounce back after a horrible season. A new coach in Darvin Ham will perhaps help Davis, but if he can stay healthy, then the onus will be on him to perform at the very highest level again to prove that he is still a superstar in the NBA.
