With the NBA restart officially underway, it’s only a matter of time until the new Champions are crowned. Out of all 22 teams in Orlando, the Lakers and Clippers are the two most frequently named as the ones who will win the title this season.
And while the Purple and Gold’s most recent victory over their rivals can be used as evidence towards their superiority, one analyst on The Ringer credited Anthony Davis as the major problem for the Clips.
“The Clippers don’t have an answer for Anthony Davis. LeBron James made the key plays down the stretch of the Lakers’ dramatic 103-101 win on NBA Reopening Night on Thursday, but Davis was the difference in the game. He had 34 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, and dominated the paint on both ends of the floor. The scary part for the Clippers is that he could have done even more. The game comes so simply to Davis that it’s easy to forget just how talented he is. He’s one of the most versatile 7-footers in NBA history. On defense, he made Kawhi Leonard look human.”
Anthony Davis may be a sidekick in the eyes of the NBA community, but he sure isn’t playing like one. This season, he’s averaging 26.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on 50% shooting — those are superstar numbers.
Against the Clippers, in their most recent game, he dropped 34 points rather effortlessly. The lack of frontcourt depth by the Clippers seem to be their biggest flaw at the moment and the Lakers have the perfect guy to exploit it.
In a seven-game series, that problem will not go away on its own. The Clippers will have to figure out how to slow him down with the pieces they already have. If not, it could cost them a trip to the Finals.
