Anthony Davis holds the key to a deep playoff run for the Los Angeles Lakers

If the Los Angeles Lakers are going to make a deep run in the NBA Playoffs, it’s going to be on the back of Anthony Davis, not LeBron James.

Two months ago, the Los Angeles Lakers were dead in the water and in real danger of not making the NBA postseason at all. However, with just a few days remaining in the regular season, the Lakers are looking more and more like a potential dark horse contender and not like that team that seemed all but eliminated from playoff contention in February.

The Lakers have completely changed the narrative of their season with their recent play. The moves that the team made at the NBA Trade Deadline continue to go underrated and the Lakers are going to have a shot, if nothing else, to make some real noise in the Western Conference playoffs.

And if the bracket lines up in their favor, it wouldn’t be at all that surprising if this team makes a semi-deep run in the playoffs. In a wide-open West, nothing is off the table for a team led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Anthony Davis is the ultimate game-breaker for the Los Angeles Lakers

If this team does end up making a deep run in the playoffs, though, it will be more about AD and Not LeBron. There’s no question that LeBron may be the team’s most important player. When he plays, everything changes. However, there’s a case to be made that AD is the player that unlocks this team’s ceiling.

If AD is healthy (which is unfortunate considering he’s reportedly still battling a bone bruise in his foot) and playing at a high level, there’s no question that the Lakers can make a deep run in the playoffs. If he’s not healthy, though, it completely changes the Lakers’ playoff chances.

AD is averaging 27 points and 12 rebounds on 57 percent shooting from the field this season for the Lakers, his best to date with the franchise. He’s playing at a level that we saw him reach during the NBA’s bubble playoffs when the Lakers won the NBA title that season.

Remaining healthy will be the key to the Lakers reaching their potential in the playoffs. For as much as LeBron is talked about, I’d argue that AD is a little more important.

Of course, the Lakers need them both healthy for what they want to accomplish in the postseason. But when AD is healthy and playing at a high level, there are few players in the league that can keep up with him. As the Lakers look to pull off something unprecedented from a lower-seeded playoff team, it will be AD that fuels the Lakers’ deep playoff run if it happens.