LA Sports Hub
Fansided

Los Angeles Lakers: The historic number that LeBron and AD can chase

By Jason Reed

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 05: NBA players LeBron James (L) and Anthony Davis talk as they watch a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks during the 2019 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 5, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 05: NBA players LeBron James (L) and Anthony Davis talk as they watch a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the New York Knicks during the 2019 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 5, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Los Angeles Lakers have arguably the best duo in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who will be chasing a historic number in 2019.

There are some great duos in the NBA heading into the 2019 season but none are quite as good as the Los Angeles Lakers‘. While certain teams come close, such as the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets (if they were healthy), nobody can quite match the force that is LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

LeBron has been and still is the face of the NBA, although some would say that he has since given up his throne as the best player in basketball, which is strange, considering just two years ago he dragged the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and everyone was still calling him the best.

Davis has been viewed as the guy that could take over as the best player on the planet. At such a young age, Davis has already shown a historic skill set and has not even reached his prime yet. However, because of his limited play last season, he has taken a bit of a back seat in that discussion.

More from LA Sports Hub

The new heir to the throne is Giannis Antetokounmpo, which is completely fair. Giannis was the league’s Most Valuable Player last season, something that Davis is yet to do. But just because Giannis is succeeding should not mean that people should forget about Davis, as he has MVP potential in 2019.

Not only is LeBron and Davis the best duo in the league right now, they have serious potential to be the best all-around duo this decade. Sorry to Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, but LeBron and Davis possess more all-around skills than that duo did.

Plus, the two are going to be chasing a historic number this season that would put them up there with the best duos of all-time, even if they do not realize that they are chasing it.

That number? 56.

Why 56? Fifty-six should serve as the bar for LeBron and Davis’ combined scoring per game in the 2019 season. The duo, combined, should average around 56 points per night on any given night.

That would mean 28 points per night for each guy, which is more than doable. Some may think that it won’t happen as they will cancel each other out, but as the obvious two stars on the team, it certainly can happen.

Davis averaged 28 and 28.1 points per game the two seasons prior to last, when he was actually playing his normal minutes and played the entire year. At 26 years old, it is safe to say that he has not hit his prime and this year could be the start of it, and with LeBron facilitating, it would not be all that shocking to see Davis average 30 a game.

That leaves LeBron needing to average 26 a game, which is more than doable. LeBron has a bad game and mistakenly finds himself with 26 points, that is how good he is.

Sure, he might be giving more of the offensive workload to Davis but LeBron has only averaged fewer than 26 points three times in his career — his rookie season and his first two seasons back in Cleveland.

Even in Miami with two other stars, although he was in his prime, he averaged 26.9 points per game. Twenty-six points is more than doable.

So why 56? That number would not only make them this decade’s best scoring duo but the third-best scoring duo of all-time.

The only two duos that would be better would be the Philadelphia Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain and Paul Arizin (which is only because Chamberlain averaged 50 points per game) and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

We all remember vividly how good Kobe and Shaq were, despite their differences. It was the 2002-2003 season where the duo averaged 57.5 points per game. Overall, in the three year stretch from 2000-2003, they averaged 55.7 points per game.

Kobe and Shaq were arguably the most dominant duo in NBA history that could have probably won six-seven rings if they learned to get along. While that might not be possible with LeBron in the latter stages of his career, it showcases just how good the Los Angeles Lakers’ duo is.

Players that might not finish season in LA. dark. Next

And that is not bringing in the elite facilitating of LeBron, the exceptional rebounding of both men or Davis’ defensive ability and potential to be Defensive Player of the Year. Yeah, get excited. Watch out for 56.

Home/Los Angeles Lakers