Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has been the face of a ton of criticism on social media due to his injury history and inconsistent play throughout the years. However, he is arguably putting together the best season of his career currently, or at least his best since joining the Lakers.
This is one of the healthiest seasons in Davis’ career, the most available he has been wearing the purple and gold, playing 68 of the team’s 73 games so far. He is averaging 24.7 points, a career-high 12.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 blocks on 55.3% from the field.
Davis is the ultimate X-factor for the Lakers as when he plays at the level he is capable of, the team usually wins. Someone who is holding Davis to a high standard is former Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal per the request of the big man’s parents, he revealed on NBA on TNT:
"He knows how I feel about him… His mother and father came up to me and said, 'We want you to stay on our boy,' because, I know what he's capable of." 💯@SHAQ gives AD some praise after his dominant night in the Lakers comeback 🤝 pic.twitter.com/iFJzCT6rIi
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 27, 2024
There is always pressure playing in the Lakers organization given the expectation of winning championships, and Davis has experienced that through his five seasons in L.A. That’s not to mentioned the additional pressure placed on him by legends like O’Neal who have been critical of the big man through his tenure in L.A.
However, it is in good faith as the four-time champion knows what the Lakers All-Star center is capable of every single night and wants him to succeed on the highest level. It seems that the 2020 champion is responding well with the season he is putting together, but it ultimately boils down to what he and the Lakers do in the postseason.
Anthony Davis credits Lakers for playing ‘high level basketball’ in ‘fun game’ against Bucks
Tuesday night featured a thrilling double overtime win against the Milwaukee Bucks when the Lakers overcame a 19-point fourth quarter comeback. Davis was dominant in 52 minutes, putting up 34 points, 23 rebounds, two steals and four blocks.
In a game that featured no LeBron James, Davis stepped up in a major way, being a major catalyst in turning the tide. Kicking off a six-game road trip, there is no better way than getting a win against a top team in the Eastern Conference. The big man credits L.A. for playing ‘high level basketball’ without one of their stars to pick up the big win in what he called a fun game.
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