The Los Angeles Lakers are beginning to find their feet just at the right moment. They ended the regular season with seven wins in their last ten games. Furthermore, they defeated the 7th-seeded Pelicans in the play-in tournament, which handed them a first-round draw with the Denver Nuggets. One of the primary reasons behind LA’s late-season resurgence is the stellar form of Anthony Davis.

This season, Anthony Davis has averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 76 games. However, he has made a much more telling impact on the defensive side for the Lakers. AD has averaged 2.3 blocks per game, which is the fourth most in the league this season. But despite his impressive defensive showings, the NBA hasn’t included him in the three nominees for the 2024 DPOY award. The three nominees for the DPOY are Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama, and Bam Adebayo.

In a recent interview with ESPN, Anthony Davis made his frustrations with this decision very clear. He said, “I’ll never get it. They’re not giving it to me. The league doesn’t like me. I’m the best defensive player in the league. I can switch 1 through 5. I can guard the pick-and-roll the best in the league, from a big standpoint. I block shots. I rebound.” He added further, “I don’t know what else to do. I’m over it. I’m just going to do what I got to do to help the team win and try to play for a championship.”

That’s exactly why LeBron James “handpicked” AD to be his running mate in LA. LeBron joined the Lakers in 2018, and just a year later, the Lakers added Davis via a blockbuster trade. Since then, the duo has guided the Lakers to their 17th NBA championship. Apart from that, both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have collaborated on off-court projects like Lobos (spirits industry) and Space Jam. But can they lead the Lakers to another NBA title?

Can Anthony Davis lead the Lakers to an improbable title?

The Los Angeles Lakers started the 2023-24 season in a promising manner, winning the inaugural In-Season tournament. However, they endured a mid-season slump, which has resulted in a lowly 8th seed finish. Having said that, they have shown signs of recovery, winning their last three games before their series against the Nuggets.

Although they lost the first game of the series vs Denver, there’s still hope and optimism that the Lakers might be able to pull off a first-round upset. One of the key reasons behind that optimism is the recent form of AD and LeBron. In LA’s last 10 games, Anthony Davis has averaged 24.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Whereas LeBron has averaged 27.6 points, 9.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds.

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With both LeBron and AD firing on all cylinders, the Lakers have the quality to defeat any opponent, even the Nuggets. However, the problem lies with the rest of the roster. Key players like Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Taurean Prince would have to step up if the Lakers harbor ambitions of an unlikely title. But the question remains: could LeBron and AD’s supporting cast step up?