"The only thing that's stopped him is availability" - Lou Williams on why Anthony Davis should be in MVP conversations

Anthony Davis has kicked off the 2024-25 season in spectacular form, scoring 30+ points per game to lead the LA Lakers to a 3-1 record. With an average of 34.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game, "The Brow" is looking unstoppable.

While some may be surprised to see the 6'10" center emerge as an MVP candidate, Lou Williams is not. Instead, the three-time Sixth Man of the Year declared that if it wasn't for injuries and AD was more available for the Purple and Gold, he definitely would be in contention for the MVP award sooner.

Williams on Davis' MVP candidature

More impressive than Davis' stats in these first few games of the 2024-25 season has been his confidence in his ability to carry the Lakers through clutch moments. Unlike previous seasons, the Illinois native has not just been fearless at the rim and played to his strengths but has fully embraced his role over LeBron James as the team's No. 1 option.

Reflecting on this, Williams emphasized that if Davis can match or come close to the number of games he played last season (76), he is certain to make a remarkable impact, which only strengthens his chances of being a serious MVP contender.

"The only thing that's going to keep AD out of that (MVP) conversation is being available. If he's gonna play at this clip, he's gonna be in that conversation of being one of the top five players in the National Basketball Association," Williams said . "He's always been there. The only thing that has stopped him, is his availability - him always having injuries. Sometimes, with the injury that he deals with (and) he's on the court, it kinda seems he's coasting through games because I think he's tryna get through everything in one piece. Now, he's playing… hard, physical, and aggressive."

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AD is in the running for the 2025 MVP award

Despite the LA team suffering their first defeat of the season on Monday night, Davis continued to be the engine of his team - dropping 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks. So, it is becoming apparent that even though the Lakers might not win all close encounters this season, containing AD will be a tough task for every opponent.

However, for Davis to be among the frontrunners for the 2025 MVP, he has to maintain the same level of play and even lead the Lakers to the top berths in the Western Conference. With a new coach and different role, we can hope he stays healthy and proves his worth on the court, as talent-wise, he has all the tools needed to win one.

Related: Sam Mitchell says LeBron has been waiting for this version of AD to show up: "I can help close out games if I don't have to help keep us in games for three quarters"