Lakers’ Trade Sets Up Anthony Davis for Shot to Bolster Resume

Getty Anthony Davis poses with his jersey as he is introduced as the newest player of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite having won a number of individual accolades during his time on the Pelicans, Anthony Davis has still yet to taste the ultimate glory that is winning an NBA championship. The Pelicans failed to put a remotely competitive team around him – save for the brief period he and DeMarcus Cousins were healthy alongside one another – for almost the entirety of his tenure. While still young with a number of years ahead of him, Davis seems to be getting impatient as he tries to tackle one of the last remaining pieces of hardware needed to round out his impressive collection.

Lakers’ Trade Puts Anthony Davis in Position to Chase NBA Championship Aspirations

With his trade to the Lakers and pairing with LeBron James, Davis is instantly put in a position where he can compete for an NBA title. Davis spoke to ESPN’s Sarah Spain and broke down just how important finishing his career an NBA champion is to him.

“I don’t think I have a failure that I’ve had yet,” Davis told Spain. “Obviously at the end of my career if I don’t win a championship that would be, I would feel that’s one of my biggest failures. But right now, I still have a lot to do in this world on and off the court.”

Davis seems to understand that he does have plenty of time to bring home his first NBA championship, however, definitely seems to hold it in higher regard than the individual accolades he has been showered with throughout his career.

Fortunately, this Lakers team seems built for the playoffs, especially if former All-NBA superstar DeMarcus Cousins can get back to his old ways. While they should face some stiff competition in trying to get out of the West with the Clippers, Warriors, Jazz, Nuggets, and Rockets all looking like NBA Finals caliber teams, things won’t get much easier as the Bucks and Sixers look to be the Eastern Conference heavyweights waiting in next year’s Finals.

The road to a championship this year looks to be incredibly daunting, something that would only help bolster Davis’ resume that much more if he were to be able to help lead the Lakers back to the promised land.

Anthony Davis & LeBron James Set For Incredible Superstar Pairing

The world has never seen LeBron James armed with a weapon quite like Anthony Davis. While the King has often shared the court with prolific guards, the best bigs he has played with typically wind up converting into a stretch forward role. However, Davis has a unique blend of athleticism and basketball IQ that (on paper) make him the deadliest pick and roll weapon James has ever played alongside. Able to beat defenders to the rim using pure speed or simply by going up over the top for easy lobs, James’ playmaking skills should be on full display as he feeds Davis over the course of the season.

For Davis, he has never played with a ballhandler that possesses the same ability to beat a team down the court in transition. Expect Davis to find himself on the receiving end of a number of easy looks in transition as underprepared defenses scramble to collapse on the freight train that is LeBron James. Both players possess a certain gravity to them on the court and one’s ability to draw help defense should do wonders with keeping scoring lanes open for the other.

While the two have yet to play in an actual game together, the combination of the two is – at least on paper – enough to put the entire NBA on notice.