Particularly with the amazing closeout game from LeBron James in the Western Conference Finals fresh in our mind, it’s easy to forget that Anthony Davis is putting up historic numbers in the NBA playoffs. According to the NBA, Anthony is averaging 29.6 points per game in the playoffs, which trails only Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson in playoff scoring average, among players with a minimum of 25 playoff games.
While his per game scoring average has been slightly lower with the Lakers (28.8), his efficiency has never been better than it is right now. Davis has also been shooting a scorching 57% on long two-pointers. Perhaps it’s because of all this that LeBron James told Yahoo’s Chris Haynes that Davis is still just scratching the surface of how great he can be.
“There’s a reason we wanted him here,” James told Yahoo Sports. “He’s a complete player, and now the world is seeing what he can do in games that matter. All he ever wanted was a chance. That’s all anybody ever wants. And now that he has it, I think you’re going to see him flourish and he has. We haven’t seen the best of AD yet. He’s just scratching the surface.”
The Heat in the Finals will provide perhaps the biggest challenge Davis has faced so far in the postseason, but that also might be just what he needs to have the requisite performance the Lakers and LeBron believe he is destined for on the NBA’s biggest stage.
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