1. Anthony Davis
Nobody has more to prove on the Los Angeles Lakers roster this season than Anthony Davis. It might not be fair to say that he has a lot to prove while making the case that the other stars do not have much to prove, but he is at a point in his career where this is so important to his legacy.
This is not a money thing for Davis. He is getting a max contract and will continue getting paid at a max level for the next decade. Davis is reaching a fork in the road moment in his career. Is he going to prove that he is a winner in this league or will his doubters continue to look at the 2020 championship as an anamoly.
Davis was elite in the 2020 playoffs and was the best player on the entire team despite LeBron James winning the NBA Finals MVP. That shine quickly wore off, though, as Davis did not play great to start the 2020-21 season and then got injured.
The injury-prone narrative flared up again and the ridiculous notion that Davis is not a winner, and that LeBron carried him to the 2020 Finals, unfortunately, became the discourse once more.
This is the year where Davis has to take over and be the best player on the Los Angeles Lakers with no questions asked. He is the guy that is meant to stick around after LeBron James and carry the franchise into a new title window, probably with another star.
We know he is a great player. It is all about being reliable and taking over games when the best player on the team needs to take over games. If the Lakers fall short, and Davis does not play well in key moments, the narrative will continue to stack against him.