NBA
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett challenged Lakers’ Anthony Davis to win MVP in the near future
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated15 Aug 2023
After the 2018-19 season ended, the LA Lakers made a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis. In his first season with the team, he helped them win an NBA title. Since then, Davis has struggled to stay healthy and consistently be on the court. He earned a three-year, $186 max extension from the Lakers this offseason. Making him one of the highest-paid players per annual average value. Recently, Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett challenged Davis to win MVP in the near future.
The 2019-20 season was Davis’ first year with the Lakers, playing in 62 games. His 56 games played last season were his highest total since that first season with LA. Certain media members have questioned why the Lakers would sign Davis to an extension with his previous injury history.
With Lebron James not getting any younger, the Lakers are trying to cash in on that championship window. James is still a dominant force for LA, but the team thrived last season when Davis was their primary scorer. An MVP-type season could be what the Lakers need to edge out some of the West’s top teams.
“Anthony Davis can do everything [Nikola Jokic] can do. He can do everything Embiid can do… I’m expecting him to be MVP, if not this year, definitely next year.”
– Kevin Garnett
(Via @shobasketball / h/t @ClutchPoints ) pic.twitter.com/gj4DuTbRv1
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 15, 2023
Anthony Davis is the Lakers’ best offensive player when he is fully healthy
From December 18- January 24 last season, Anthony Davis missed 20 consecutive games. When he returned on January 25, he only missed three more games the entire season. Two of those three games were the second night of a back-to-back. He helped turn the Lakers’ season around and snuck into the playoffs with the seventh seed.
They made a run to the Conference Finals before they were swept by Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. Davis’ (14.1) rebounds and (3.1) blocks per game led all players during the 2023 postseason. Additionally, his (12.5) rebounds per game during the regular season was a new career-high.
When he was healthy last season, Davis was not an easy player to stop. His (.563) field goal percentage was also a career-high in what was a productive year. If he would’ve stayed healthy, Davis was on track to be an MVP candidate. That’s what Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett has challenged the Lakers’ big man to do. Garnett said that Davis can do all the things that Jokic and Embiid do. He expects the 30-year-old to be an MVP in the near future.
