Basketball Story, LA Lakers, - If you purely look at the box score and glance at the stats, it’s easy to make the assumption that Anthony Davis is having a stellar season, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.
For anyone who has watched the Los Angeles Lakers consistently this season, it’s glaringly obvious that Davis has significantly underperformed thus far, and it’s not being talked about enough.
Davis is 28 years old, in the middle on his prime, finally injury free and has an entire offense built around him to take and make the most shots.
With that, he is supposed to be carrying this team with LeBron James sidelined, and dominate the competition, but he continues to be inconsistent, disengaged and flat out disappointing when his team needs him the most.
After all these years, Davis still struggles with double-teams, his free throw shooting has regressed and he looks like a shell of himself defensively.
It was clear last night, as Giannis Antetokounmpo got anything he wanted against Davis, and dominated him in ways that’s made him look mediocre on that side of the floor. People often compare the two players because of their uncanny physical gifts, but the truth is the gap between them is the Grand Canyon.
Without LeBron, this Lakers team looks like Davis’ old New Orleans Pelicans squads, and it’s a shame given how individually talented Davis is.
Despite all the talent in the world, Davis lacks key intangibles that could take him to the next level. He doesn’t have enough “dog” in him, he doesn’t want to bang with the big boys down low, he’s not a natural leader, and it’s all coming to light right now.
All the things Davis lacks are the very fabric of what Giannis’ game and approach is built on, and that’s the difference between the two.
With so many new pieces, it’s up to Davis to collect wins as the team finds its chemistry, familiarity and rhythm. Instead, he looks comfortable with losing games, and has no desire to win them off his own back.
The harsh reality is Davis NEEDS LeBron on the floor to truly dominate, and this shouldn’t be the case for someone who many consider a top 10 player in the league.
Davis is playing like a sidekick, not a superstar. Period.
Source: Open Court
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