Anthony Davis doesn’t agree with the idea that he’s playing the best basketball of his career.
When relayed the message that some consider his current production the best or second-best basketball he’s played, Davis scoffed and scrunched his face at the postgame podium in Washington.
“They didn’t watch me in New Orleans?” Davis said after posting 55 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks in the Lakers’ 130-119 win over the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
One reporter interjected: “Third-best stretch?”
“It might be fourth or fifth,” Davis said matter-of-factly.
Davis, 29, may quibble with the notion that this is the best he’s played in his career, but he’s posting career-best numbers in several notable statistical categories.
He’s averaging career-highs in points (28.6), rebounds (12.8), field-goal percentage (59.0 percent), true-shooting percentage (65.6 percent), effective field-goal percentage (60.2 percent), Player Efficiency Rating (31.9) and Win Shares per 48 minutes (.288). Leaguewide, Davis is eighth in points per game, first in rebounds per game, third in blocks per game and first in PER.
Most importantly, his greatness is almost single-handedly turning the Lakers’ season around. After a disastrous 2-10 start, the Lakers are 8-2 over their last 10 games (Davis has played in nine of the 10 games). His averages over that stretch are superhuman: 35.3 points, 15.6 rebounds and 2.9 blocks to go along with 64.8/45.5/88.0 shooting splits. The Lakers are plus-95 in Davis’ 312 minutes.
Davis is breaking and setting all kinds of Laker statistical records, which is significant considering the franchise’s superstar-rich history. He’s posting numbers the franchise hasn’t seen since Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain. Beyond the Lakers, he’s producing stat lines last seen from Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing.