The Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns was just their second in their last seven games. With a 38-30 record, the Lakers remain seventh in the Western Conference with four games to go, which could put them in the play-in tournament once the playoffs begin. However, one thing that bodes well for the Lakers’ title defense has been the recent play of All-Star big man Anthony Davis, who missed 30 games due to right calf and heel issues.

While Davis has had his struggles since returning from the injury, Davis looked like his old self against the Suns, finishing with a season-high 42 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and three blocks. It wasn’t the first time he reminded the rest of the league that he had returned to form, as he also finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and a block in a 106-101 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

The Lakers may be facing an uphill climb if they want to repeat as NBA champions. But if their 28-year-old All-Star is playing at his best, then it wouldn’t be surprising to see them lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy even as a seventh seed. With Anthony Davis and fellow All-Star LeBron James on the sidelines due to injuries, other players have emerged as among the best players in the league. But when the former Pelican is fully healthy like he was during their title run last season, he has a case to be a top-five player in the league.

This season, Anthony Davis’ stats of 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game are down from last season when he helped the Lakers win their first championship in a decade. Based on these numbers, he’s not likely to gain any consideration to be among the league’s top-five players. This is especially true this season when other stars such as Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Luka Doncic, and reigning two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo are putting up better numbers.

Last season, which was his first year in Los Angeles, Davis played 62 games for the Lakers and finished sixth in the MVP race behind Antetokounmpo, James, James Harden, Doncic, and Kawhi Leonard for the award. He put up 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks and helped the Lakers to the top seed in the West en route to the title. This more closely reflects his impact on the Purple and Gold and his standings among the league’s best players.

When playing at his best, Davis is not only able to score from inside and out, but also changes the game by his presence on defense. Against the Suns on Sunday, he blocked a shot by Jae Crowder in the final minute and then finished with an emphatic slam on the other end to punctuate the Lakers’ victory against their likely first-round opponent. This is indicative of his impact on both ends that not a lot of players have, and something the Lakers will need from him in the postseason.

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Plays like this are an encouraging sign that Anthony Davis has regained the form that allowed him to be one of the league’s best players since becoming the first overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft. Since entering the league, he has finished in the top five of the MVP race just twice: fifth in 2015 and third in 2018. Both times happened when he was with the New Orleans Pelicans, and four of his five All-NBA First-Team selections also happened when he was in The Big Easy.

But Davis also made the All-NBA First Team last season, proving that the Lakers' front office was right in trading a king’s ransom of young players and draft assets to acquire his services. During the 2020 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, there was even a discussion early on if it was James or Davis who was more deserving of Finals MVP, before The King went on to dominate in the closing games of the series to win his fourth Finals MVP trophy.

For most of the season, injuries to the former Kentucky Wildcat may have prevented him from establishing his usual dominance and entering the conversation as a top-five player in the league. But against the Blazers and Suns, Anthony Davis was there to remind everyone of how good he can be when he is fully healthy. When he makes shots from all over the floor and serves as a defensive anchor for the Lakers, it’s hard to bet against the defending champions, and just as hard to count out their prized big man as a top-five player.