Lakers stats: Why Anthony Davis is in uncharted territory

When you think of some of the greatest centers in NBA history, chances are that your mind goes to the Los Angeles Lakers. George Mikan. Wilt Chamberlain. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaquill O'Neal. Andrew Bynum. OK scratch that one, I was just seeing if everybody was paying attention.

If they ever carve a Lakers big man Mt. Rushmore somewhere in the Hollywood Hills, they better save some room for Anthony Davis. Davis helped the Lakers to a title in 2020, played the healthiest season of his career last year, and is off to such a hot start through four games that he's one of the early favorites for MVP.

AD spent seven years in New Orleans before forcing his way westward, and since coming to L.A. he's continued his run as one of the best two-way players in the league, even if he hasn't gotten as much credit as he deserves thanks to playing next to LeBron James.

James and Davis' partnership produced a ring, and unlike other high-profile pairings in the league that have blown up over time, these two have been built to last, so it's always seemed that AD was cool with being considered LeBron's right-hand man. At this point in their careers though, Davis is the superior player.

That's not to say that LeBron is fading, because he can still be as outstanding as ever on any given night. At 39 though, there's a bit more ebb and flow to his game, as evidenced by his 32-point triple-double in a win over the Kings on Saturday, followed two days later by an 11-point dud at Phoenix.

Having LeBron as the number two option is a luxury that any team would love to have, especially if they had a player performing the way Davis has lately. The Lakers are 3-1 with three wins over quality teams, and none of that would have been possible without Davis making history on a nightly basis. If he keeps this up, there's no limit to how far the Lakers can go this year.

Anthony Davis is doing things NBA fans haven't seen in a long time

Davis has averaged 24.1 points per game over his career. Sure it's a small sample size, but the consistency with which he's destroying opposing defenses through the first four games this year doesn't seem like a fluke. It seems sustainable.

Anytime you can be mentioned in the same breath as Shaquille O'Neal, you're doing something right. OK, maybe not if you're appearing alongside him in a commercial for Icy Hot or The General car insurance, but for anything basketball-related, you're in good company.

The center may be as respected now as the running back is in the NFL, that is to say: not very much. Like a plant growing toward sunlight, the pro game has stretched itself outward to the 3-point line, which has all but rendered the traditional back-to-the-basket post-player obsolete.

Davis has flourished anyway, even though the outside shot has been the weakest part of his game. That's because he's too big and too skilled for anyone to handle 1-on-1, and too smart and switchable to be played off the floor on defense. Take Opening Night as an example, when he busted up Rudy Gobert for 36 points and 16 rebounds while swatting three shots.

AD has become more aggressive in recent years, perhaps because deep down he knows that he's the straw that stirs the drink on this team now. Just look at his rebounding, where he's grabbed at least 12.5 per game the past two seasons after failing to do it once in his first decade in the league. Look also at his free throw shooting, where he currently leads the league with 10.3 makes per game on 12.8 attempts.

Only two centers have won the scoring title in the past 30 years — Joel Embiid in 2021-22 and Shaq in 1999-00. Davis is currently on pace to join that exclusive club.

The Lakers have had so many great scorers in their illustrious past, but Davis is hanging right with them. Elgin Baylor holds the first, third and fourth highest-scoring seasons in franchise history, with Kobe Bryant filling the second spot on that list. Baylor's record of 38.3 points per game is probably untouchable, but Davis isn't so far back, and he's on pace to beat the best seasons ever put up by Jerry West, Shaq, LeBron, Kareem, Magic, and any of the other more than two dozen Hall-of-Famers that have worn the purple and gold.

Davis hasn't been around as long as LeBron, and he doesn't have nearly the trophy case that his more celebrated teammate does. Let's not overlook greatness when we see it, though. Most centers decline after they reach 30, but Davis is only getting better, and he's taking the Lakers with him.