The checklist for a Los Angeles Lakers’ NBA championship is every bit as lengthy as you’d expect from a team that was seeded eighth and knocked out of the first round last season.

While many of the items could take months to come to fruition—if they ever happen—the first (and arguably most important) step might already have transpired.

The long-awaited baton toss from LeBron James to Anthony Davis may be happening. And if it is, it might be time to recalculate what could be possible for the Purple and Gold during the 2024-25 campaign.

Granted, a megawatt star like James is never going to vacate the spotlight until he rides off into the proverbial sunset, but the 39-year-old star can finally ease the burden of being his team’s go-to scorer. If this season’s first week is any indication, Davis is ready, willing and able to assume that responsibility.

It’s been an award-winning start for the Brow, who just captured the campaign’s first Western Conference Player of the Week honor. The Lakers went 3-0 in the first week, and Davis matched that mark by going 3-0 in terms of scoring 30-plus points. For the week, he averaged an even 34 points and 11 rebounds, to go along with 3.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.7 steals.

Those are jaw-dropping numbers for anyone, but they carry extra significance in this situation. James might be defying the aging curve better than anyone has before, but the fact remains he’ll turn 40 years old ahead of the All-Star break. And while this front office has assembled a formidable supporting cast around its stars, the Lakers don’t have anyone else forcing their way into the league’s elite ranks.

In other words, it’s a ton to ask of James, at his age, to lead a championship run. Just like it’s unrealistic to expect that of Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell or whoever else you want to highlight on this roster.

With Davis, though, it’s different. When he plays with this level of aggressiveness on the offensive end—he’s averaging 20 shots and 12.8 free-throw attempts—he’s unstoppable.

“It’s very important that he’s the main focal point for us every single night,” James told reporters.

The every single night portion of that quote is its most important.

Davis can be dominant in spurts, but sustaining offensive excellence has been a bit of challenge. While opposing teams seldom slow him down, he hasn’t always kept the gas pedal floored. Last season, there were five games—not coincidentally, four of them losses—in which he managed single-digit shot attempts. He took just 11 shots in 40 minutes of L.A.’s elimination game loss to the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers don’t have enough firepower to afford for Davis to take a backseat. James’ 20 points per outing are the fewest of his career. Reaves (19.3) and Rui Hachimura (17.5) are L.A.’s only other players netting a dozen-plus.

Davis doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting on his own, but as James noted, Davis should be doing the heaviest lifting. The early focus on his offensive involvement feels like the most important shift made under new coach JJ Redick.

“There’s an intentionality to have him involved as much as possible,” Redick told reporters. “We recognize what type of player he is and that he can create mismatches.”

Davis is this club’s cheat code. When he scored 34-plus points last season, the Lakers went 8-2. When he’s leading the charge and James is serving as one of history’s greatest sidekicks, that’s when L.A. looks like a full-fledged elite.

That’s why Davis’ involvement has been even more encouraging than his league-leading scoring. It’s hard to imagine he’ll keep tallying this many points or taking this many trips to the foul line. In a way, both of those things are outside of the team’s control.

Where the Lakers have influence, though, is with his usage. So far, so great on that front. His 20 field-goal attempts per outing and 31.3 usage percentage, per Basketball-Reference, are both the second-highest marks of his career. And remember, he started his career with seven seasons of being essentially a solitary star in New Orleans.

He has more support now, but the Lakers will be better off if he doesn’t really play like the help is there. If he’s hunting shots, he’ll be putting this team in tremendous position.

If he can summon a superstar ascension before James evacuates the star ranks, then the Lakers will be much closer to the championship race than even their most optimistic supporters thought possible.