Davis is just what the doctor ordered for ailing Lakers

By JERRY TAPP

The big news in sports this past week was the impending trade of Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers. The trade has made the Lakers the betting favorite in Las Vegas to win the NBA championship in 2020.

Davis, who spent one year at the University of Kentucky before jumping to the NBA, is a six-time All-Star in his seven seasons in the league. He is also a three-time all-NBA selection, but he has seen post-season action with the Pelicans in only two campaigns.

Here are six stats you may not know about Davis.

1. Davis’ up-to-date career numbers include 23.7 points per game, 10.5 rebounds per game and 2.4 blocks per contest. He is currently one of only four players to have career stats of 23 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. The others: Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Joel Embiid.
2. Davis holds the NBA All-Star Game record with 52 points. He did it in the 2017 All-Star Game. He has 103 career All-Star Game points and only one assist to go with those 103 career points. Of the 48 players who have 100 or more career All-Star Game points, he has the fewest assists with one. Paul Arizin is next with six assists.
3. Davis had 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in six of his seven NBA seasons. That ties him for 19^th in that category. Tim Duncan tops the list with 17 seasons with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks.
4. In four of his seven seasons Davis had 75 steals and 150 blocks. That ties him for eighth most in league history. Hakeem Olajuwon tops the list with 13 such seasons. Davis is one of only 13 in league history to have 100 steals and 200 blocked shots in a season. He did it in 2015. Olajuwon tops this list with 13 seasons with 100 steals and 200 blocks.
5. In his 13 career playoff games, Davis is averaging 30.5 points per game, 12.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per contest. He is the only 30 points-10 rebounds -2 blocked shots (minimum of 10 playoff games played) player in playoff history.
6. Davis was the #1 selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. He is, however, second on the list of most career points for players chosen in that draft (Damian Lillard has 12,909 career points to Davis’ 11,059, although Davis 23.7 points per game average ranks ahead of Lillard’s 23.5 for the 2012 draft class) and he is second on the list for most rebounds from that class (fellow 2012 draftee Andre Drummond has 7,424 career rebounds to Davis’ 4,906).

Follow Jerry on Twitter @StatsonTapp