The Los Angeles Lakers are 13-11 after 24 games played, and plenty of attention has been given to new head coach, JJ Redick, as well as LeBron James who seems to - slump aside - have beaten Father Time once again.
Anthony Davis, however, has clearly been the MVP of this team up until this point in the season. And given that he, unlike James, does seem to come with an expiration date due to his injury pattern, it might be time to wonder aloud about the long-term plans of the Lakers.
Davis, who will turn 32 in March, is playing virtually flawless basketball this season.
He currently sits at 27-5 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.0 blocks, 1.3 steals, and is sporting a TS of 61.0%, while rarely turning the ball over. And that's not even getting the impact of his defense, which is greater than what his stocks number suggests.
The 6'10 center, who has repeatedly asked to play the four in recent years, has become the ultimate plug-and-play big man. He can score with the ball in his hands, in catch-and-go situations, as an offensive rebounder, and of course as a lob threat.
Redick and the coaching staff, technically, doesn't need to draw up a high volume of plays for Davis, and could trust he'd simply find his own way.
It should come as no surprise that a multi-skilled big man, who display long periods of dominance on both sides of the court, is in high demand.
As such, it'd be understandable if the Lakers were to look at Davis and consider a trade possibility to replenish their draft pick cupboard, and start over, if they find themselves failing to live up to expectations this season. Given Davis' current production, as well as the fact he's been much healthier over the past couple of seasons, the Lakers could easily justify an enormous demand on any return.
Of course, the Lakers would prefer to hang onto a player who universally should land in everyone's Top 5 this season.
So, what's the plan moving forward?
James is turning 40 this month, and at some point a genuine decline will affect him. It's going to happen, regardless of how much he's avoided it.
Alternatively, James could decide to get out before he's being removed by physical limitations. That's a scenario that cannot be dismissed out of hand.
Whatever the situation, Davis is likely to stand alone, and probably fairly soon.
However that situation is sliced, Davis as the lone star isn't likely to lead to titles anytime soon, and a re-tooling process takes at least a year, if not two, to go through properly. By then, Davis will be inching close to 33 or 34, raising questions about how long he has left.
This is all a long-winded way of saying the clock is ticking on Davis. For the Lakers, assuming they wish to optimize his surroundings, even more so.
There is of course another approach, which is simply letting him remain in a star role, as the organization attempts to pivot towards a youth movement, largely not including Davis in the long-term plans due to his age, but letting him keep the boat afloat just enough to occasionally become a borderline playoff team, providing crucial developmental experiences for a young group of players.
In such a scenario, where the Lakers don't move him for a haul, the organization will have to hit accurately in the margins, something they've not always done well.
Regardless of the path they choose, they will need to identify one, as Davis' age is becoming a more frequent topic, and the current iteration of their lineup is bound to end sometime soon.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats viaNBA.com,PBPStats,Cleaning the Glass orBasketball-Reference. All salary information viaSpotrac. All odds courtesy ofFanDuel Sportsbook.