Shaquille O’Neal is fascinated by soaring Anthony Davis’ stats: “He's playing the best ball I've seen in a while & I just hope he can stay healthy”

Anthony Davis has played incredible basketball for the LA Lakers the past few games, including Sunday's 55-point performance against the Washington Wizards. One person who's been impressed with is Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal.

Before the Lakers took on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night, O'Neal and the TNT crew took some time to appreciate Davis' impressive performance. In the span of two games, AD has averaged 49.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks. His MVP-like numbers have gained attention from the legendary bigman.

"Me and Charles saw a glimpse of this when he played in New Orleans, and we said, 'In two or three years, he's gonna be the best player in the league.' And he kinda slipped away, but, listen, he woke up. Rumor has it, they moved him to the five spot," O'Neal said.

"He's playing MVP-like ball. He's playing the best ball I've seen in a while & I just hope he can stay healthy."

Expand Tweet

After a rough start to the season, the Lakers are climbing up to the Western Conference standings with impressive play from their stars. It's not just Davis who's been playing great basketball, but LeBron James and Russell Westbrook as well.

Los Angeles (10-12) has won eight of its last 10 games and is looking to add more wins under its belt. The Brow has had a great nine-game stretch where he has averaged 35.3 ppg, 15.6 rpg and 2.9 bpg. If the Lakers have a better record, Davis has a shot at being in the top three when it comes to the MVP ladder.

In Davis' last outing, he displayed an incredible scoring performance. He also had 17 rebounds and three blocks to lead the Lakers to a 130-119 win at the Wizards.

Also read: Shannon Sharpe declares Anthony Davis an MVP candidate: "The best player on the court even with 2 guys with 6 MVPs and 5 Finals MVP"

Anthony Davis is finally turning things around with the Lakers

Anthony Davis has turned things around for Los Angeles after struggling to assert himself as a great player. Injuries have played a huge role in their obstacles this year. It's also worth noting that Davis was sidelined for most of last season due to injuries.

Now, he's back as a reliable center. He's starting to look promising this season, dominating from the inside and showing off his elite defensive bag once again. Davis is averaging a career-high 28.6 ppg, leading the league in rebounds with 12.8 and second in blocks with 2.4.

Even though the Lakers are still close to the bottom, they have become favorites to come out of the West. Still, AD's play this season probably won't be enough for them to win the championship. However, there's hope that Los Angeles could return to the postseason after missing out last season.

Also read: 3 things Anthony Davis must do to win his first Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021-22 NBA season