Los Angeles Lakers superstar big man Anthony Davis received a gigantic contract extension earlier this month. While some believe it was a good decision, there are those that feel it is risky or that Davis doesn’t deserve it.
His critics accuse him of being lazy and unmotivated, and, according to them, he seldom plays up to his potential. Never mind the fact that he’s coming off a season in which he averaged 25.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game while shooting 56.3 percent from the field.
Hall of Fame big man Kevin Garnett, who was a rival of the Lakers for a good portion of his career, challenged Davis to win the league MVP award within the next two years while on the “KG Certified” podcast with Paul Pierce (h/t ClutchPoints).
“Anthony Davis can do everything (Nikola Jokic) can do. He can do everything (Joel) Embiid can do. … I’m expecting him to be MVP, if not this year, definitely next year.”
Pierce then said that for Davis to win the MVP, the Lakers will have to be one of the NBA’s top teams and that he’s not sure they can be a top team.
Los Angeles has been looking to gradually shift the burden of its offense to Davis since his arrival in 2019. With James gradually growing older, that shift may have to accelerate a bit to keep the four-time MVP fresh throughout a long season.