The Los Angeles Lakers may have been eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in humiliating fashion by a sweep, but it's very clear that there are a lot of positives and highlights to take away from this season. Whether it's coming back from a 2-10 start that had analytics give them a 0.3% chance to make the playoffs, epic moments such as LeBron James passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring record, to Austin Reaves having a breakout playoff run that is sure to delight Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss enough to give him the extension he deserves. Or it could be the blockbuster trades that brought D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, and truly saved the Lakers season. There are also memorable moments on the court such as fans hitting half-court shots, LeBron throwing a tantrum because of a game-deciding missed call, playoff memories like D'Angelo Russell hitting clutch threes in Game 4 against the Grizzlies, Anthony Davis dunking over Jaren Jackson Jr., Austin Reaves hitting a half-court shot in Game 6 vs. the Warriors that even impressed Jack, the list goes on and on.

But if there's one positive to truly take away this season, that positive would be Anthony Davis having his healthiest season since 2020.

The Brow had an extremely troublesome couple of years, unable to dodge injuries, starting with an Achilles injury in 2020 against the Nuggets, (what a coincidence!) then an adductor strain in the playoffs of that year, to which he tried playing through but he was immediately removed. Then the following 2021-22 season, AD only played in 40 games due to an MCL sprain in December, followed by an ankle sprain that February. It was tough seeing him watch, and fans were trolling him on social media with the nickname “ADisney.”

But this year, he played 56 games in the regular season and all 16 playoff games, for a total of 72. That's his most since his 2020 championship year, where he played 78 games. And in those seasons, the circumstances were a whole lot different: different teammates, different coaches, different health conditions. And in the trained eye, it's clear that there was a different kind of AD played in those two years.

It's unclear as to what the Lakers roster will look like next season. Who will be the starting center? Who will be the point guard? Depending on how the offseason plays out, it will definitely dictate the kind of Anthony Davis we'll see this upcoming season. These two seasons show two kinds of play that AD has shown. The question is, which one of them is better? Let's break them both down.

2020 Anthony Davis: A 7-foot Kobe

When Anthony Davis was traded to the Lakers in 2019, the Lakers were immediately viewed as NBA Championship favorites, and it's not just the simple fact that LeBron James gets arguably his most skilled teammate in his 20-year career, but it's the fact that their games compliment each other very well. What LeBron heavily lacked during his time with Miami and Cleveland was that he lacked a big man that complement his own offensive presence by being a lob threat, a dominating presence on the defensive end, and a secondary scoring option. AD provided that in 2020 and then some.

AD averaged 26.1 points per game along with 9.3 rebounds on 50% shooting, and 33% shooting from deep. He also averaged 85% from the free throw line, uncharacteristic for a big man, but without a doubt, a huge boost considering he gets to the line 8.5 times a game that year. As usual, AD also showed his teeth on the defensive end with 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.

The key distinction here is his three-point shooting. AD was forced to be a floor spacer because he usually played alongside JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard either taking the center position, and AD was instead a power forward position. 33% is not a great stat, but it definitely got the job done, especially when the lights shone the brightest. Whether it's in this clutch dagger in Game 4, or this epic game-winner against the Nuggets.

That kind of confidence also came with him having the uncanny ability to also play iso ball like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant and hit tough mid-range fadeaway buckets, which made him all the more impossible to guard with his height. Despite being 7 feet tall, he had the agility of a guard and could do moves that guys shorter than him could only do. The best showcase of this was his 50-burger against the Timberwolves.

2023 Anthony Davis: A traditional center

A big reason why AD had those injury-plagued years was because of his noticeable weight gain in 2021. Although he entered the 2022 offseason with the plan of cutting that weight, this still showed that the weight gain bothered him, and he lost the speed and explosiveness he had two years ago.

But this is fine because he doesn't need that much speed anymore: this season had AD playing center now. He didn't have the luxury of playing with capable big men that could control the paint and grab rebounds, especially considering how Mo Bamba got injured. Although it took a lot of time to adjust, AD proved that he could also play as a center.

This season, AD averaged 25.9 points per game on a much more efficient 56% shooting. His rebound numbers took a big leap from 9.3 per game in 2020 to 12.5. Not to say that AD couldn't grab that many rebounds in 2020, but a lot of the glass-cleaning responsibilities definitely had to be given to him.

Instead of spacing the floor with his jump shot, AD spent most of his damage down in the post and getting to the rim as a roll man. His best game this season was a 55-point outing against the Wizards:

His jump shot didn't completely leave him, but it's clear that those prior injuries had something to do with it. This season, he took much fewer threes per game 1.3, down from 3.5 a game in 2020, and his percentage dropped from 33% to 26 percent. Prior to this season, he shot his career-worst 18% from three. It's clear that his confidence in his shot was shaken after the injury and after that weight gain.

So which is better?

The truth is, it doesn't truly matter. As previously mentioned, these versions of AD were more of a byproduct of the Lakers' roster. It's truly remarkable to see Anthony Davis be capable of adjusting his game to whatever the team needs, whether as a power forward or a center. The only thing that really matters is the outcome: in 2020, the Lakers won the championship. In 2023, the Lakers were bounced out of the Western Conference Finals.

With LeBron James being in the last legs of his career and with the Lakers roster being completely uncertain as of the moment, not to mention Davis' own contract situation, the Lakers can truly only go as far as AD goes. The hope is that this upcoming season will be the healthiest, most motivated Davis has ever been in his career.