Bold predictions for the Lakers — the Most Interesting Team in the World
By Amaar Burton
2. Anthony Davis will win NBA Most Valuable Player
LeBron will be the public face of the Los Angeles Lakers for as long as he wears the uniform, but there’s a solid argument to be made that Davis is currently the best player on the team. Davis may also have better odds than LeBron to win league MVP this season.
In his athletic prime at 26 years old, Davis averaged 25.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.4 blocks per game last season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Thanks to injuries and a reduced role following his public trade request, Davis did that while playing just 33.0 minutes per game, the lowest since his rookie season.
LeBron, who will turn 35 this season, has said all the right things to the media about taking a step back and letting Davis be the focal point of L.A.’s game plan.
But LeBron still has to prove he’s actually going to follow through on the court, where he’s been “The Man” for his teams pretty much his entire basketball life.
Media narratives go a long way in MVP voting, and Davis will have a good one working in his favor.
While LeBron has the redemption story from last season’s disappointment, Davis is the newcomer that can turn a lottery team into a contender.
It’s an MVP formula that worked in the past for Charles Barkley, Steve Nash and Wes Unseld. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won league MVP in his first season with the Lakers, helping L.A. improve by 10 wins from the previous season, although they fell just short of the playoffs.
Another reason why A.D. will have a stronger case for MVP is the likelihood that he plays more games for L.A. than the aging LeBron.
As renowned as LeBron is for his conditioning and durability, he can’t hold up forever. Last season was the first time he missed a big chunk of time with an injury (groin) and now he’s entering his 17th year as a pro. Even the seemingly robotic Kobe started to break down in Year 17. Michael Jordan‘s knees were torturing him by his 14th season.
The NBA’s iron man, A.C. Green … well, he was indestructible until the end, but that’s a historically rare scenario.
Even if LeBron stays healthy, expect the Lakers to give him “load management” days off to rest.
Davis has had his own injury issues, but he’s actually played in more games in the last five seasons than Kawhi Leonard, who doesn’t have an “injury-prone” label.
If Davis sees more action than LeBron and the Lakers flip the script from pretenders to contenders, Davis will be in prime position to win his first MVP.