Anthony Davis is, quite literally, making history for the Los Angeles Lakers.
At the time of writing this, the Los Angeles Lakers lead the Miami Heat 1-0 in the NBA Finals. Game 1 was an utter blowout and if Game 2 goes the same way then the rest of the series might just be a formality for the Lakers.
The Lakers have the two best players in the series and arguably the two best players of the entire playoffs. Yes, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard were both in the NBA Playoffs this year. But the way Anthony Davis and LeBron James are playing, they are the two best.
We are used to this from LeBron James. He has put teams on his back in the past and willed himself to the NBA Finals time and time again. He is the most experienced player in the NBA today and nobody expected any less of LeBron, even at age 35.
Anthony Davis is the player that is taking the NBA world by storm. Sure, he had some big playoff performances in the past, but he had only been in the playoffs twice before 2020 and never made it past the second round.
Could he still do it when it really mattered while playing alongside LeBron James? The answer is a resounding yes. In fact, Anthony Davis is literally making history in the NBA Playoffs this season.
The historic group that Anthony Davis could join:
Anthony Davis’s numbers in the NBA Playoffs are mind-boggling. He is averaging 29.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. He is shooting 56.7% from the field, 37.8% from beyond the arc and 82.2% from the free-throw line.
His advanced numbers are even better. Davis has a 131 offensive rating and a 106 defensive rating in 578 minutes played. No player in NBA history has had a 131+ offensive rating with a 106- defensive rating with at least 200 field-goal attempts in the playoffs. Davis has.
He has a 9.2 Box Plus-Minus (BPM) and a 1.6 Value Over Replacement Player (VORP). Only 10 players EVER have posted a higher BPM in the playoffs (min. 500 minutes) than Davis has this year.
The most staggering statistic, and the one that is making history, is the win-shares that he is racking up. Davis leads the playoffs with 3.7 win-shares and is averaging a staggering .305 win-shares per 48 minutes.
He has to maintain his current level of play, but if he does, he would join Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to ever post a .300+ WS/48 in NBA Playoffs history (min. 500 minutes).
Let me say that again. Anthony Davis would join a list that only includes Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn’t do it, Magic Johnson didn’t do it, Kobe Bryant didn’t do it, Shaquille O’Neal didn’t do it, Larry Bird didn’t do it, Kevin Durant didn’t do it, Anthony Davis is on pace to do it.