(ThyBlackMan.com) NBA mobility and empowerment ten years ago were frowned upon. Super teams were few and far in between, as player loyalty to a franchise was placed as a premium for NBA executives and fans alike.
Then LeBron James came and shook up the NBA by holding the league hostage via free agency in the summer of 2010. Then, proceeded to break the entire Cleveland Cavalier fanbase and organization by choosing the Miami Heat to form a Big Three. On national TV. With no regrets or empathy.
Besides the national tv biz, doesn’t the rest sound like the rest of the NBA? Yep. James gave the blueprint to Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and his new teammate, Anthony Davis. And while Davis made his mark on holding his team hostage via trade, it worked out in the end, leading the New Orleans Pelicans to trade away their star and franchise player.
With James and Davis both on the same team, it appears the Lakers have curated a building block in Davis for stars to come to compete for the Lakers for years to come. One day, James will get older, less explosive. But Davis has another seven or eight years of prime basketball left. With a prodigious talent such as Davis on the realm, the Lakers can be a future landing spot for future NBA stars.
But let’s look at the damage Davis is already causing on the court presently. In his five games with the Lakers, Davis is averaging 29.2 points and 11.6 rebounds. While his shooting percentage could be better (46 percent) it’s still the beginning of the season. There is, of course, lots of time for that to improve as he gets acclimated with his new team.
On James end, he’s doing his fair share of dominance as well. He’s putting up a James-esque season so far: 26.4 points per game, 10.8 assists and 7.4 rebounds. He’s also shooting 50.5 percent from the floor, and if you look at his highlights it appears the groin injury is no more.
But both James and Davis are looking like the dynamic duo that the Lakers envisioned when they traded for Davis this past summer. Both are scoring in bunches and making plays. Both are utilizing their talents to make the Lakers better. With the olden State Warriors officially on hiatus, now is the time for the Lakers to build toward contender status.
But if that happens, it starts with the Lakers building Davis as the centerpiece, while LeBron is paced toward the NBA playoffs. Since LeBron will be 35 next month, minutes restriction and load management will play a big part this season. But Davis can’t worry about that and neither can the Lakers. They have the infrastructure, talent and veteran presence in place to make a run. It’s just up to the Lakers and Davis to execute.
Davis is only 26 and made a move that will set him up for the rest of his career. Now, he must continue putting in work to make sure he lives up to the billing.
Music Editor; Brad Washington
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