Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking Khris Middleton among best second options
By Dalton Sell
Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking Khris Middleton among best second options: No. 2 – Anthony Davis
Aside from Middleton, Anthony Davis is the only other second option on this list to help their team win a championship. He did so with the Los Angeles Lakers in his first year with the organization during the 2019-20 season alongside LeBron James, the eventual Finals MVP.
When healthy, there is no doubt that Davis is among the best players in the league. However, this past season was a forgettable one as he missed the most time out of any season in his career. He played just 36 games this season, having battled through various injuries that eradicated any and all success that the Lakers might see this year. Those injuries hindered Davis’ production and he had one of his least productive seasons by averaging 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Those might typically be quality numbers for a second option, but Davis is capable of doing much more damage than that.
With an offseason to recover, Davis should be back to form next season. He will likely be a walking double-double, and this could be the year he wins Defensive Player of the Year honors. Health will be the deciding factor there, but there is a valid argument that Davis is the second-best big man in basketball behind none other than Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo when he is healthy. Time will tell if he can regain that status, and if so, perhaps Middleton and Davis could find themselves playing on the same court as the second options for their respective teams on the biggest stage.