In Los Angeles, the 17x champs are still reeling after an 0-4 start to the season. Despite the best efforts of Lebron James and company, the Lakers remain winless after the first week of the new campaign.
Meanwhile, Anthony Davis has performed well enough on paper, but many fans are not satisfied with the level of intensity he has shown on the floor.
Former NBA Star Wants To See More From Anthony Davis
In a recent chat with the ‘Get Up’ morning crew, NBA legend Vince Carter spoke about Davis and called him out for not stepping up as the leader of the team.
“I think it falls in AD’s lap more so than LeBron. … You’re expecting LeBron to save the day again. … If he’s trying to save the day now, what LeBron will you get at the end of the year?”
.@mrvincecarter15 weighs in on the Lakers' shooting struggles.
"I think it falls in AD's lap more so than LeBron. … You're expecting LeBron to save the day again. … If he's trying to save the day now, what LeBron will you get at the end of the year?" pic.twitter.com/UBZPZnklBL
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 27, 2022
With averages of 25.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game on 45.3% shooting, LeBron is putting up MVP numbers in his first few games of the season. But at 37 years old, one has to wonder if James can sustain that level of play… or if he even should, given the current state of the Lakers roster.
Really, Anthony Davis should have stepped up by now and taken over as the team’s offensive and defensive leader. While the Lakers have tried (several times) to make him the focus offensively, AD has yet to show he can be ‘that guy’ for a full season.
“I came on the air and talked about how Anthony Davis was a top-seven player. I take it back,” Smith said. “Damn it, he don’t look like it. He don’t look like he wants to go anywhere near the basket. And my point is, yo bro, you’re too big, you’re too skilled, you’re too talented. What has happened to Anthony Davis? Yes Russell Westbrook can’t shoot, but that’s about it,” said Stephen A. Smith. “We need to be talking less about Russell Westbrook and more about Anthony Davis.”
It’s still early enough for the Lakers to turn this around. Just 4 games in, we haven’t seen enough from anyone to tell how the food chain is structured right now.
But unless Anthony Davis can step up and become the player he was supposed to be, the Lakers will never reach their true potential, which we haven’t seen since the 2020 bubble.
