Anthony Davis Steps Up As Leader For Lakers In LeBron James' Absence

Photo: Instagram/Anthony Davis 

Despite LeBron James' absence, Anthony Davis is proving himself capable of leading the Lakers to victory.

In the past, Davis struggled without James by his side, going 11-19 in games he played alone.

However, with James nearing his 40s, Davis needs to step up, especially with the Laker season on the line. So far, he's delivering.

Photo: Instagram/Anthony Davis 

On Sunday, Davis led the Lakers to victory against the Golden State Warriors with 39 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

He scored 12 critical points in the fourth quarter, which was tied with under six minutes left to play.

For the season, the Lakers are 5-7 when Davis plays without James, but each of those victories is due to Davis' individual performance.

Davis is currently averaging 29.6 points and 14.3 rebounds per game when he plays without James.

He's scored an average of 35 points per game in his last three games without James, which all occurred after the All-Star break and the acquisition of new teammates at the trade deadline.

The Lakers have 17 remaining games, 10 of which are home games, and the third-easiest remaining schedule in the NBA by opponent winning percentage.

They were also fortunate that Ja Morant was suspended over the weekend, taking him out of Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies.

If Davis can continue playing at this level, the Lakers can keep their heads above water until LeBron recovers.

The version of Davis we saw in prior seasons was not up to this task, but now he is every bit the partner James needed to take over his team while he recuperates.

With the stars aligning for the Lakers, even with James sidelined, they have the potential to become one of the more dangerous teams in the play-in round.

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Source: CBS Sports 

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