Thanks in large part to the offensive production of Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers have won two of their first three games inside the NBA's bubble. Things are looking good for Purple and Gold Nation, but the team will likely go as Davis goes.
With Monday night's 116-108 victory over the Utah Jazz, the Lakers clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, marking the first time they've accomplished this feat in 10 years. Davis led all scorers with 42 points and 12 rebounds. And in Los Angeles' bubble opener against the Clippers, the former No. 1 overall pick had 34 points as part of a thrilling 103-101 victory, including a 16-of-17 mark from the free-throw line.
However, sandwiched in between those great games was a loss to the Toronto Raptors. Davis made all nine of his free-throws in the matchup, but he finished with just 14 points and a plus/minus score of -17. He had one point in the first half. And just for the record, the Lakers shot a season-low 35.4 percent from the field (10-of-40 from downtown), which includes a 2-of-7 mark from Davis. It's no secret that the Lakers will need AD's production to be successful. These stats simply hammer that point home.
“The Raptors did a great job of really making other people beat them,” Lakers wing Kyle Kuzma said after Saturday night's loss to the Raptors, via ESPN. “I think for most of the game they double-teamed Anthony and LeBron in the post and kind of left a lot of guys open to make some shots. We just didn't hit shots tonight.”
As they should be, the Lakers are being viewed as one of this season's favorites to win the title. According to OddsShark, Los Angeles is a +200, with the Milwaukee Bucks close behind at +280.
Everyone knows what LeBron James brings to the table. With three championships and 16 All-Star nods, his track record speaks for itself. Davis doesn't have that sort of resume — yet. He can, though. If he can dominate as he has for much of this season, he and the Lakers will have a much better chance of fighting through a tough Western Conference in the postseason.
Will Davis be able to maintain a high level of production into the playoffs, though? It seems his team will need it. LeBron has been looking to get AD involved early in games, and it has been an effective strategy. Let's see if that trend continues as the season plays on.
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