After a couple of years since he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis is finally showing his true potential for the Purple and Gold. While the All-Star forward has been ravaged by injuries during the last few seasons, his recent streak of dominance has placed his team out of the bottom in the Western Conference and helped them build momentum before the year ends. The thing is, those who invested in Anthony Davis rookie cards have been waiting for this moment to come. We take a look below at whether Davis has given justice to his stock in the NBA card market or not.

Anthony Davis' recent resurgence for the Los Angeles Lakers

Anthony Davis, LakersEver since he entered the league during the 2012-13 season, Davis has been seen as a player who can definitely move the needle for any team he's playing for. But while that may be the perspective early on during his career for the New Orleans Hornets, the team that picked him with the number one draft pick, and later on the New Orleans Pelicans, the forward really didn't elevate his squad enough to make it go deep in the postseason.

During his eight seasons in New Orleans, Davis put up great numbers by averaging 23.7 points on 51% shooting from the field, 10.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.4 steals in 34.6 minutes per game. But while these stats looked jaw-dropping, the hard truth to look at during his time in the Big Easy was that he was constantly injured. Along with the subpar squads built around Davis during those seasons, the inability to stay healthy for long ravaged the Pelicans' chances of making an impact in the Western Conference.

Fast forward to the 2019-20 season and Davis's wishes to play for the Lakers were finally granted in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three first-round picks. This gave more attention to those Anthony Davis rookie cards in the market as the Brow is being positioned as the Robin to LeBron James' Batman. And true enough, the Dynamic Duo wearing the Purple and Gold delivered on their promise to give the franchise its 17th NBA championship ring.

In his first year with the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis played a total of 62 regular season games and averaged 26.1 points on 50% shooting from the field, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks per contest. Those numbers will eventually take a leap during the playoffs that year when the All-Star notched 27.7 points on a 57% field goal rating, 9.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 21 games against the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, and Miami Heat. His outstanding performance not only helped the Lakers reach the promised land, but it shed more light on what his NBA cards can achieve in the hobby.

Unfortunately, that potential hasn't really played out well for those who went deep with those Anthony Davis cards. In the two years after that championship run, Davis missed a lot of time due to various injuries. This led the All-Star forward to just play a total of 76 games during the past two seasons with combined averages of 22.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2 blocks per contest. His absence on the court, coupled with other issues the Lakers were facing, bombed their chances of making a deep run in the postseason. As a result, those who invested in Anthony Davis rookie cards were growing more disappointed during that period.

That's why when the new season started, the outlook on Davis and his stock in the NBA card market was understandably low. To the surprise of many, the Lakers' star has been balling out of his mind during the 21 games he has played this year. During that period, Davis is posting averages of 27.3 points on 59% shooting from the field, 12.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. The Brow even went on to have a 55-point, 17-rebound masterpiece as he led the Lakers to a 130-119 win over the Washington Wizards.

And while he's currently out because of a non-Covid illness, Davis is still expected to make a return soon and help the Lakers rise up in the standings more. It should be remembered that at one point, they only had a single win while others in the league have amassed more victories than them. Now, Davis' squad has a record of 10-13 and is looking to build up their momentum in the coming months. Even though they're still in the bottom half of the West, the time is right for them to make a run since Russell Westbrook has been thriving in his new role and LeBron is healthy again. Still, it remains to be seen whether Davis can continue playing well or whether he will succumb to injuries before the regular season is over.

The state of Anthony Davis rookie cards

Davis' recent streak of great games has finally given justice to those who invested in his NBA card stock by showing what he's truly capable of on the court. The thing is, his value in the market hasn't really reflected that dominance he's been displaying for the Lakers.

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Anthony Davis, Lakers, Cards

In a three-month graph by Card Ladder, Davis PSA 10 2012 Panini Prizm rookie card has dropped from $345 to $184 during that period. While the short-term trend has risen from a low of $150, there's still a long way to go before the card can return to its old form. But if Davis' recent performance is to be taken into account, the momentum is right there for the stock to shoot straight back up to the top.

The verdict on Anthony Davis cards

For a long time, Anthony Davis cards have been a frustrating option to go for in the NBA card market. Now as he's playing well for the Lakers, there's a chance for the All-Star to finally live up to his potential, both on the court and in the hobby. With the way things are going, the only options now are to buy for those who believed Davis could fight off the injury bug and stay healthy or keep them for those who have invested in his cards before.

Anthony Davis, Lakers, Anthony Davis cards

The short-term movement of his PSA 10 rookie card is encouraging, which coincides with his recent performances. If this is any indication, the stock can potentially move up along in value, granted he stays healthy on the court and the Lakers keep winning. In any case, it's best to keep a close eye out on Davis for those interested in getting his NBA cards in the market.