Los Angeles Lakers: Can Anthony Davis really handle the pressure?

A little known why Anthony Davis left New Orleans… something mainstream media never speaks on.

David Grubb:

"The seeds for Anthony Davis leaving New Orleans were planted early on.  His father clashed with management on how Davis was being used by then-coach Monty Williams and wanted Davis to be the biggest star in a town where the Saints are king and a state where  football is religion. According to multiple sources, when he signed his contract extension with the Pelicans in 2016, his agent at the time, Thad Foucher, was not enthusiastic about it. He thought Davis had decreased his leverage by making that commitment so quickly. Foucher never believed that the Pelicans were interested in investing in building a winner (he wasn’t wrong then, we’ll see moving forward). Davis didn’t want to leave. He’s just not built to ask out. More of the story has started to come to light since. The Pelicans had a metaphorical revolving door to the trainer’s room and the locker room over the years. Davis was in search of an equal in talent and a strong personality to take on the load of leading the team. Kendrick Perkins has already stated that he was one of the first to push AD towards Klutch. With that nudge and that of LeBron, Rich Paul, and the fact that Davis’ father has such a tremendous influence on his son’s career, it was only a matter of time before AD would sign with Klutch. After the 2018 playoffs, things went into motion. LeBron made his move to LA. Rondo gave the Pelicans less than 10 minutes to match an offer from the Lakers that he knew he couldn’t get from New Orleans. Then Davis officially signed with Klutch and everyone knew it was just a matter of time before a trade demand was coming. Again, no one misunderstood why he wanted out. The Pelicans had failed as an organization to build a contending team. But he told his teammates before the 2018-19 season even began that he was going to ask out. As the Lakers and Pelicans both struggled, the urgency was there for both. There are no sour grapes in New Orleans. Davis will likely still have his jersey retired here, but people won’t forget how he left, and his feigned innocence throughout the process."

Hopefully this doesn’t turn into LaVar Ball lite. Every bit of potential drama with less press.

But looking at this overall situation shows that a first or second-round exit could be a disaster PR wise for Anthony Davis. He hasn’t really accomplished anything other than put up a ton of stats. It’s true that the Pelicans did not help out much, but that narrative won’t fly if the Lakers don’t meet the Clippers in the Western Conference Finals.

But for now, Game 2 against Portland is the focus. Think how bad it would be if this happened for real.