Anthony Davis bold predictions after bombshell Mavericks-Lakers trade
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The Dallas Mavericks recently acquired Anthony Davis in a shocking trade with the Los Angeles Lakers that saw Luka Doncic end up in LA. The primary talking point from the trade has been Dallas’ decision to trade the 25-year-old face of the franchise. It goes without saying, but dealing Doncic away was shocking without question. Still, Davis has an opportunity to make a big impact with the Mavs while playing alongside Kyrie Irving.
Let’s take a look at three bold predictions for Anthony Davis following the Mavericks-Lakers trade.
Anthony Davis-Kyrie Irving duo proves to be unstoppable
Mavericks fans don’t have to be happy about the trade. They have every right to be upset. However, the Davis-Irving duo could be special.
Kyrie has often played alongside star guards or forwards. He hasn’t spent too much time with a superstar center with plenty of versatility such as AD.
Between pick-and-rolls, pick-and-fades, lobs, Davis backing defenders down in the past, Kyrie drawing a double and finding AD and more, the Mavs’ offense will have a realistic chance to play well. The defense seems to be Dallas’ primary focus, and it should be good (more on that later), but doubting an Irving-Davis led offense is a risky thing to do.
Davis takes a step forward as a scorer
Davis is known as a quality scorer. The 31-year-old has averaged just over 24 points per game for his career. In 2024-25, AD is averaging 25.7 points per outing. The Mavs are going to need him to be especially aggressive on the offensive end of the floor, though, and our prediction is that Davis will accept the challenge.
Anthony Davis surely knows that Mavs favs are not huge fans of this trade. As a result, he may feel extra pressure to immediately play at a high level. Between the pressure and the Mavs needing extra scoring alongside Kyrie Irving, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Davis score close to 30 points per game with his new team.
Mavs feature a top 10 defense for rest of season
The Mavericks have been rather mediocre on the defensive end of the floor this season, recording a 112.9 team defensive rating which is tied for 12th in the NBA. With Davis on the floor, though, the Mavs are going to take a step forward in that department.
The Lakers are 21st in defensive rating, but Davis did not have many reliable defenders around him in LA. With the Mavs, however, he will have players such as PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall to help him with the team’s defensive effort.
Anthony Davis currently holds an individual defensive rating of 107.8. His career defensive rating is just over 104. AD is a tremendous defender, and his ability to guard most players on the floor while protecting the basket will be of the utmost importance for this Mavericks team.
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