Anthony Davis has played in just four games with the Lakers, but he and LeBron James are already proving that this pairing will be a dominant force.
In one of the more notable moves of the whirlwind 2019 offseason, Los Angeles made a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans to acquire Davis. As part of the trade, the Lakers gave up several young players, including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart, as well as multiple first-round picks.
So far, the Lakers' trade for Davis is paying off in a big way, as the former No. 1 overall pick has racked up several impressive performances with his new team. Simply put, opposing sides have struggled to find an answer for his production.
Davis needed just three quarters in Tuesday night's 120-91 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies to make history. He racked up a team-high 40 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field and a franchise-record 26-of-27 from the free-throw line. He added 20 rebounds, two assists and two blocks. It was the fourth 40-point, 20-rebound game of his seven-year career.
The Brow is now one of seven players in Lakers history to record 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game (Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan, Shaquille O'Neal).
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Davis is the first player to have a 40-20 game in 31 minutes or less since 1954-55. Prior to Davis, the quickest 40-20 game was 33 minutes by Baylor in 1961.
Davis is also the fourth player in league history and first since Michael Jordan in 1987 to make 26 or more free throws.
James, who led the crowd in a chant of “Taco Tuesday” during Tuesday's win, knows that Davis was a huge acquisition for the Lakers:
“This solidifies why we went out and got him,” LeBron James told ESPN after Tuesday's victory over the Grizzlies. “He was big time for us.”
LeBron was able to cruise through this victory without breaking much of a sweat, putting up 23 points and eight assists in just 28 minutes of action. The Lakers are hoping there will be plenty of more nights like this one, with Davis shouldering the bulk of the load while James plays a more complementary role. Even LeBron has admitted he's willing to play second fiddle at times, which will allow him to conserve more energy throughout the long season and help him be stronger when he's needed most.
This campaign is still young, but if first impressions are an indicator of what's to come, the Lakers seemed poised to make a serious run at the title. Last season, Los Angeles fell out of contention after James went down with a groin injury. The King is healthy now, though, and he's looking to make waves with Davis.
Of course, even if LeBron misses a game here or there, or even a lengthier stretch, Davis will be there to pick up the slack. Pairing these two together makes the Lakers a dominant force, but it's also a good insurance policy.
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