LA Sports Hub
Fansided

Los Angeles Lakers: Predicting Anthony Davis’ insane 2019 stat line

By Jason Reed

EL SEGUNDO, CA - JULY 13: Anthony Davis (C) is introduced as the newest player of the Los Angeles Lakers during a press conference with general manager Rob Pelinka (L) and head coach Frank Vogel (R) at UCLA Health Training Center on July 13, 2019 in El Segundo, California. 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 Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
EL SEGUNDO, CA - JULY 13: Anthony Davis (C) is introduced as the newest player of the Los Angeles Lakers during a press conference with general manager Rob Pelinka (L) and head coach Frank Vogel (R) at UCLA Health Training Center on July 13, 2019 in El Segundo, California. 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 Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Fans are very excited about Anthony Davis being on the Los Angeles Lakers and they should be as Davis is primed to put together a monster season in LA.

The Los Angeles Lakers finally landed the white whale that had been in Lakers rumors for months this past offseason and completed a trade for former New Orlean Pelican, Anthony Davis. Now, Davis leads the charge alongside LeBron James as the duo looks to restore prestige in the Laker name.

Davis and LeBron are arguably the best duo in the NBA right now and can put together numbers that would make them one of the best duos of all-time. At his best, Davis is probably one of the three most talented players in the league while LeBron is still in the top-five as well.

It is kind of hard to create a clear hierarchy to determine who is the best in the league as there are so many elite talents. Either way, Davis and LeBron are among the top.

More from LA Sports Hub

It is going to be very interesting and fun to watch as LeBron has not had a teammate as good as Davis. Yes, he did get Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. However, he missed all of their primes just slightly and even if he hit their primes, Wade is the only one that could make the case for being better than Davis.

And even then, in terms of pure, raw talent, Davis probably takes the cake over Wade as well.

Anthony Davis is that good and he is entering the cusp of his prime and is finally on a legitimate title-contending team. He is a legitimate threat to win MVP and is going to put together a ridiculous stat line for the season.

How ridiculous you may ask? Well, let’s break it down, starting with the three fundamental numbers that most people look at: points, rebounds and assists.

2019 prediction: 30.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists

Yes, you read that correctly. I am predicting Anthony Davis to average 30.5 points per game in his first season in LA. I went with rounded-up numbers to get these averages and 30.5 points per game puts him right at 2,500 points for the season.

This might seem like an extremely bold take with LeBron sharing the scoring but LeBron has reportedly already made it clear that he wants Davis to be the primary focus on offense. Plus, LeBron has a knack for bringing big men to an even higher level with his distributing.

Davis will average slightly fewer rebounds than he has over the last three years (11.6) because of LeBron as well as having two above-average rebounders in JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, something the Pelicans didn’t have last season.

Finally, his assists will go down and be the third-lowest of his career, of course, because of James. 1.8 assists put him at 150 total assists for the 2019 season. What about the defense?

2019 prediction: 3.0 blocks, 1.5 steals

Yes, I think Anthony Davis will set a career-high in blocks and finish somewhere around 250 for the year. He is the best defensive player on the Los Angeles Lakers and his performance on the defensive end will be the big difference not only in the team’s success but in his MVP odds.

Davis is going to be a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year with these numbers and might just win. The steals are right on par for what he does every year with the blocks being the main focal point.

2019 Shooting metrics prediction: 55 FG%, 25 3P%, 80 FT%

The main thing that Anthony Davis seems focused on this offseason is his three-point shooting and that should lead to some better shooting metrics out of him, albeit not an insane jump.

Davis’ career-high three-point percentage is 34 percent, so it seems fair to give him a percent bump. It might not seem all that much, but it is a bigger improvement than the 33.1 percent from last year.

That will naturally lead to a small increase in his overall field goal percentage as well as he will be just as reliable under the basket. The free-throw shooting will remain where it has been around his entire career as he is a 79.5 percent free-throw shooter.

When you put it all together you realize that this is going to be an MVP-caliber season for Davis. In the history of the NBA, there is only one player (Bob McAdoo) to average 30 points, three blocks and 10 rebounds per game.

Players with the most to prove in 2019. dark. Next

Anthony Davis is going to add his name to the list and give the Los Angeles Lakers a season that the fans will never forget.

Home/Los Angeles Lakers