Anthony Davis is the future of the Los Angeles Lakers. While the current title window in LA right now exists because of LeBron James, the hope is that Davis can stick around longer than James and bring in other stars to play with him and win titles in LA.
LeBron is the more accomplished player but Davis is in his prime. Despite this, Davis still appears to be the less likely of the two star players to take home the MVP trophy after the season.
As it currently stands, LeBron has the sixth-best MVP odds for the 2021-21 season, coming in on WynnBET at +1100. Davis is 12th on the list with +2250 odds.
While LeBron has the better odds right now, I would argue that Davis has a better chance, especially if he leans into these three things.
The three keys to Anthony Davis having an MVP season for the Los Angeles Lakers:
3. Improve his three-point shooting
Anthony Davis is one of the most versatile offensive players in the league. He can bang down low and dominate anyone near the rim but he can also space the floor, working in mid-range shots as well as shots from beyond the arc.
Davis was primed to take more three-point shots last season but it never really came to fruition like Frank Vogel imagined with Davis being injured. He might have less of a role from three this season but he still needs to shoot better.
Davis does not have to be an elite three-point shooter but any stretch of the imagination but if he can make a slight improvement to his efficiency from beyond the arc then his scoring numbers, and MVP case, are only going to rise.
Davis shot an abysmal 26% from beyond the arc last season and is a career 31.2% shooter. His best three-point shooting percentage was 34% and since becoming a Laker he is shooting 30.8% from beyond the arc.
We know Davis can shoot. He shot 38.3% from beyond the arc during the 2020 championship run. He does not need to shoot quite that high but if he can get to 35% then his chances will increase substantially.