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Los Angeles Lakers will pull off this feat that hasn’t been done in 13 years

By Jason Reed

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: Anthony Davis (right) #3 stands next to LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the National Anthem before their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 05, 2019 in San Francisco, 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 05: Anthony Davis (right) #3 stands next to LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the National Anthem before their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 05, 2019 in San Francisco, 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers are primed for a fun and successful 2019 season and will accomplish something that has not been done in over a decade.

The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be the most entertaining team to watch in the NBA this season. What other team boasts a top-two player all-time in LeBron James while also boasting a top-five talent in the league that could take over James’ throne in Anthony Davis?

There are plenty of great duos in the league this season, which is refreshing compared to years past. However, all of those great duos still do not have the dynamic that the Lakers have as LeBron and Davis are two guys with size that can truly do it all.

The Lakers are set to make history this year in multiple ways. We already broke down how the Lakers can challenge an all-time record this season with their new supporting cast. When we hone it down to just LeBron and Davis, we can find some history that they will make individually as well.

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LeBron James and Anthony Davis are going to pull of something that has not been done since the 2006-2007 season and has only been done by four sets of teammates since the 1990s. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are going to be teammates on the All-NBA First Team.

The last duo to pull this off was Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire with the Phoenix Suns. They were both immensely talented, obviously, but they don’t have the same historic pairing as the other three sets of teammates that have accomplished it.

Before them, it was Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal who pulled off the feat three times and fittingly won three championships. They pulled it off more than Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen (once) and Karl Malone and John Stockton (twice).

Those are three historic duos that combine for nine NBA Championships. Stockton and Malone definitely would have been champions if they came around 10 years later as they were bested by Jordan and Pippen in the Finals twice. That is 12 combined Finals appearances for these duos.

What is the case for the Lakers accomplishing the feat this season? LeBron made the All-NBA Third Team last season and Davis was kept out entirely. However, LeBron battled an injury and Davis was cautiously handled after his trade demands.

This will undoubtedly happen if LeBron is true to his word and really makes way for Davis to be the top-dog on the Los Angeles Lakers. If LeBron does so, which would actually benefit him if he does, then Davis is going to have an insane season.

Davis is on the cusp of entering his prime and with LeBron facilitating we could see him set a career-high and flirt with 30 points a game. He is going to get the rebounds, he is going to get the blocks and he is going to play All-Defensive Team-caliber defense. It is going to be impossible to deny that resume.

James’ case seems harder to make if he is giving way to Davis but it really isn’t. Scoring has never been James’ forte and he is still going to average no less than 22 points per game. I see him landing somewhere in the 23.5 range.

That might seem low by today’s standards but his assists numbers are going to go up and with him acting as a primary facilitator and with Davis involved LeBron could set a career-high in assists. His career-high in 9.1, so he could flirt with double-digit assists in 2019.

The rebounding might take a slight dive with Davis involved but the fewest rebounds that LeBron has averaged in his career are 5.5. I think he lands somewhere in the 7.5-8.0 range.

So it is likely that James will average 23.5 points, 9.5 assists and 7.8 rebounds per game. That been done only eight times in NBA history. Russell Westbrook has done it twice, James Harden has done it once and Oscar Robertson has done it five times.

The only time of those seven that it didn’t result in an All-NBA First Team nod was Westbrook after the 2017-2018 season, where he honestly only missed out on the award because of the triple-double burnout and the narrative that he was a stat-chaser and bad teammate. That won’t be the case here.

Who made the All-NBA First Team together that season? LeBron and Davis. In fact, they have both been members of the All-NBA First Team together three times already. Now, they are going to do it on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Next. Lakers showed three title-winning strengths. dark

As long as the two stay healthy then them both making the All-NBA First Team, and making their case as one of the greatest duos of all-time, is a virtual lock.

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