Powered by the historic start of Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers have started its season 4-2 and are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
After dropping 38 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks in a win on his Friday night outing against the Toronto Raptors, Davis continues his dominant season, joining Shaquille O’Neal as the only Lakers player to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks per game through the season’s first six games.
“Being aggressive,” Davis said in remarks to his hot offensive start. “Taking my time on all my shots and putting a lot of work over the summer. Like I always say, USA Basketball helped with my rhythm, and I was able to come out and have a big performance.”
Anthony Davis Dominant In 2024
Davis also notched his 80th career game with 35+ points and 10+ rebounds after Friday night’s win, tying him with the great Hakeem Olajuwon for sixth all-time.
On the season, Davis is averaging 31.8 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 blocks per game, and 1.8 steals per game, all while shooting 57.3 percent from the field.
As it stands, 31.8 points per game is a career-high for the 31-year-old forward as he leads all players in the scoring department.
Anthony Davis also finds himself ranked fifth in rebounds per game, seventh in blocks per game, and is tied for sixth in double-doubles (four).
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Despite being one of the league’s best players on both ends of the court, Davis has no hardware to back his case. In his detailed career, Davis has flirted with six Defensive Player of the Year awards and four Most Valuable Player awards.
But, the nine-time All-Star has a chance to finally put an end to his drought and add to his showcase by winning both the MVP and DPOY this year — a feat that only three players have ever accomplished — most recently Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2020.
Per BetMGM, the 13-year veteran opened the season with +4000 odds to win NBA MVP, but after a historic start to his season, he’s climbed the ladder and now sits with the sixth-best odds (+1400). Additionally, according to BetMGM, Davis has the third-best odds (+1100) to be this year’s NBA DPOY.