“This is gonna be an Anthony Davis vengeance season if he stays healthy” – NBA analyst asserts Lakers could have a final run if Lebron James and AD play all season, believes the supporting cast is not reliable
NBA analyst Zach Lowe believes the LA Lakers could make run to the Finals if Anthony Davis and LeBron James stay healthy for the whole season. Barring a largely lackluster offseason, the LA Lakers still have their heart & soul in the duo of James and Davis intact. The two remain key for the team's title hopes because of their past record.
The additions of Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schroder are largely seen as positive. However, Anthony Davis staying healthy will be the biggest factor if the Lakers are to have a good season.
On "The Lowe Post" podcast, Zach Lowe spoke about the current state of the LA Lakers and gave his thoughts on how it's going to pan out for them this season. He said:
"I don't love the supporting cast. We've all spent way too much time talking about what projects to be an OK-to-maybe very good (season) if everything hits on the bullseye. But if they get 120 games from those guys (LeBron James and Anthony Davis), they're just so good.
"And I've said before, I think Anthony Davis is gonna have a big bounce back year. This is gonna be an Anthony Davis vengeance season if he stays healthy. I just don't see how they can be as ill fitting as some of the supporting cast around them is."
The last time Anthony Davis played more than 60 games, the Lakers won an NBA championship
Despite all their shortcomings, the Lakers won an NBA championship just over over 2 years ago. While many said it was down to luck or other reasons such as the pandemic, it was a title nonetheless.
Davis was unwaveringly a key aspect of what made the Lakers title contenders. Davis put up 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 36.6 minutes per game in the 2020 playoffs. He also shot a playoff career-high 57.1% from the field.
In the 21 playoff games, Davis shot 38.3% from 3-point range, the highest of his career in both the regular-season and the playoffs. He attempted 2.9 3's per game, which was also a playoff career-high for AD.
Two Years Ago Today, Anthony Davis hit this shot 🤯
https://t.co/9deg1k2NaP
AD also finished 10th in scoring in the 2019-20 regular-season and his 3-point attempts were the highest of his 10 year career.