Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of chatter about Victor Wembanyama being the next star big man in the league. Anthony Davis wasn’t having any of that chatter. He walked into the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio and dropped 40 points on Wembanyama and the Spurs en route to a 120-115 victory. In the process of winning, Davis also ended up fulfilling a long-term wish for his co-star.
After the game, Anthony Davis’ Laker teammate Austin Reaves revealed that Davis had finally fulfilled his wish for him to start shooting more from distance. Reaves addressed the media after the game, talking about his desire for Davis to shoot more threes.
I’ve been begging him to shoot for three years now and he finally listened.
Austin Reaves told the reporters
“I’ve been begging him to shoot for three years now and he finally listened.”
Austin Reaves on Anthony Davis’ 3-point shooting. pic.twitter.com/ivdoUukFNh
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 16, 2024
Anthony Davis has been dominant so far this season. On Friday night, Davis shot 2-4 from three to add to his 40 point performance. Reaves spoke about how Davis’ shooting chops have been helpful for the entire Lakers team. The added spacing that his shooting provides, allows guards like Reaves and D’Angelo Russell to avoid help defense when driving to the paint.
For his part, Davis has consistently been shooting more from downtown. He has upped his three point output this season, lacing the nets while shooting 40% from downtown. This is a stark increase from his 27.1% shooting from behind the arc last season. With his added shooting prowess this season, Davis is well set to make a solid campaign for winning the MVP award.
Can Anthony Davis win his first MVP award this season?
At the moment, Anthony Davis is well seated near the top of the NBA MVP ladder. The Lakers big man has been on an absolute tear to start the season. So far, he has averaged 31.1 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks on more than 65% true shooting this season. Amidst this, he has led the Lakers to an 8-4 record in the gauntlet of the Western Conference.
On NBA.com’s latest MVP ladder, Anthony Davis dropped from the first spot to the fifth spot after missing a game earlier this week. However, his dominant performance against the Spurs is bound to get AD back into the conversation as one of the top players this season.
Nikola Jokic currently leads the MVP ladder, with Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Jayson Tatum rounding out the top three. However, with Davis’ defensive chops, he is still the best two way player in the league at the moment. If the Lakers continue their upwards trajectory after a rough stretch of games, it may not be long before AD gets to hold the vaunted Michael Jordan Trophy.
