Anthony Davis is a player that has caught a lot of flak in recent times for being unavailable and ineffective when the Los Angeles Lakers have needed him the most. Even when AD played during this season, he failed to be too effective and it earned him a lot of criticism primarily because fans expected so much more out of Davis.
Davis, who has shown the ability to average 28 points and 11 rebounds a game, has averaged just 22.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game over the last two seasons. Despite this, media personality Stephen A. Smith has suggested that when healthy, Davis still can be the dominant player fans have seen him be earlier in his career. Smith made some bold comments backing AD on ESPN’s First Take.
.@stephenasmith defends his argument that AD is a top-7 player in the NBA when he’s healthy.
“I’d take Anthony Davis over Luka. I’d take Anthony Davis over Jokic. Yes I would.” pic.twitter.com/jPAlTagZlf
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 14, 2022
“We’re only talking skill. What you do on the basketball court when you’re healthy. Are you ready for this? I’d take Anthony Davis over Luka. I’d take Anthony Davis over Jokic. Yes, I would. And let me go a step further. Let me go a step further.
“And I know how great Jokic is… I’m saying this to you. I’m taking him over Luka, I’m taking him over Jokic and as much love and respect and reverence as I have for Jimmy Butler and Jayson Tatum, and how bigtime I believe both of them are, I’d take a healthy Anthony Davis over them too.”
Considering that all the stars SAS mentioned have shown the ability to carry their teams deep into the playoffs, something Davis hasn’t managed without LeBron James ever in his career, this take seems a bit out there even for Smith’s usual propensity to exaggerate.
Jokic is a back-to-back MVP, something Davis has never come close to achieving, while Butler, Tatum, and Doncic have shown their caliber in the playoffs this season, something AD has never done by himself. A healthy AD is a beast for sure, but this might be a bit too over the top from Stephen A. Smith.
