Los Angeles Lakers: Time for Anthony Davis’s talents to shine

One of the game’s premier talents, Anthony Davis has finally found himself with the Los Angeles Lakers on a stage to finally show what that’s worth.

Few have ever questioned the talent of Los Angeles Lakers‘ star Anthony Davis, one of only nine players to ever average north of 24 points (on more than 51 percent shooting) with 10 rebounds and two blocks in a single season. Those are roughly his career averages.

He’s a seven-time All-Star and three-time All-Defensive Team selection, perhaps the best big man in the NBA today. Alas, the impact of a near seven-footer isn’t what it used to be, capped thanks to the importance of perimeter play, no matter how hard bigs try to adapt.

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Such limitations were made obvious across seven seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans with just two playoff appearances and a single second-round appearance. Davis needed help that rarely if ever came, prompting a trade request that eventually landed him on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Amid an overall disappointing tenure in New Orleans, however, was glimpses of the jarring impact he could make in an environment capable of putting them to good use. The type he now has in the purple and gold.

Remember the 2018 playoffs, when New Orleans obliterated the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round. Davis imposed his will at both ends in ways few others could even imagine, going for 33.0 points (on 57.6 percent shooting), 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 steals per game across the four-game series.

Of course, Davis was no stranger to gaudy playoff numbers. In his postseason debut three years prior, he put up 31.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in a first-round matchup against the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

Both series ended in a sweep, but why did the Pelicans emerge on the right side once and fall victim another?

In the upset victory over Portland, Jrue Holiday proved to be the sidekick Anthony Davis needed, going for 27.8 points and 6.5 assists per game. Nikola Mirotic stretched defenses to the tune of 18.3 points on 12-of-26 3-point shooting along with 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Rajon Rondo emerged a folk hero by producing 11.3 points, 13.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds a night.

Compare this to the Pelicans of the 2015 playoffs, whose second-leading scorer was Eric Gordon at 18.5 a night, followed by Ryan Anderson at 10.8 and Tyreke Evans at 10.0 a game.

There’s no comparing the level of competition between Golden State and Portland, but the distance Davis could take New Orleans also lied, if only partially, in how far his teammates would let him.

He’s no LeBron James, capable of meshing whichever mismatched pieces he’s afforded into a 60-win team. As the 2018 Pelicans can attest, though, Davis can live up to the burden of superstardom under the proper circumstances. And if this Lakers team is any indication, his presence can turn a borderline playoff team into a championship contender.

That contender status gives Davis the first legitimate shot at a title he’s had since entering the NBA in 2012 and all the pressures that come with it. If executed properly, however, the rewards of bringing a title back to Los Angeles could be glorious.

The pieces are in place, one of the game’s greatest players as a teammate on the best team in the Western Conference. The time is inching closer for Davis to use those advantages to revise a ledger with plenty of space to fill.