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

The pressure is mounting on Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a 1-0 hole losing to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Anthony Davis had solid stats but disappeared in crunch time. Is this a trend? Lake Show Life asked a sports reporter that followed him for seven years. This might be an ongoing trend.

There are two major mysteries that will be major NBA stories leading up to the Los Angeles Lakers’ efforts to even the first-round series with the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. Unfortunately, for Lakers fans, the mysteries had better get solved or the season could end next Monday with a Blazers sweep. Both are essential for this team to survive not only this series but going forward.

• What is the offensive philosophy of the Los Angeles Lakers?
• Can Anthony Davis really handle the pressure of being the number one option on the offensive end?
• Can he get a shot without help in crunch time!   

Forget what LeBron James said at the beginning of the season when it was a foregone conclusion that the offense should run through Davis. This is also the same guy that said he would play off the ball more and play in the post last year. That statement caused construction of a flawed roster when he changed course 20-25 games into the season ignoring Luke Walton from the sidelines.

This is different. Now this is about championship aspirations with championship expectations. Something Anthony Davis said he was cool with before the playoffs started.

This wouldn’t be as much of a discussion if Anthony Davis’ play wasn’t as inconsistent as the Lakers’ overall play. There have been games such as wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz where he physically dominated on both ends of the floor.

Then there have been three games (Houston, OKC and Indiana!) that easily rank 1-2-3 as the worst games of the season by a wide margin. These games along with even the Clippers win showed a glaring flaw with Anthony Davis and the Lakers offense…

Anthony Davis tends to disappear late in games.

Much like the games going back as far as the scrimmages, the Los Angeles Lakers were plagued in the opening playoff game with a slow start and subpar shooting. In the end, it cost them in a 100-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1.

Anthony Davis shooting 8-24 from the field to get 28 points is not going to get the Los Angeles Lakers out of the first round of the playoffs. Lake Show Life has been consistent in stating that Anthony Davis and LeBron James had to be dominant scorers for any chance for success.

This discussion was brought up by Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal on TNT’s Inside the NBA on Tuesday night.

In what is becoming a trend lately, Anthony Davis has not sustained a high level of play leading into the playoffs. Game one was yet another example of the inconsistencies AD has shown since arriving to the bubble about a month ago. In the second half, Davis scored only 7 points on three dunks. They were setups from LeBron and he blew two free throws late.

There is no denying the skill and talent of Anthony Davis. There’s not a big man in the NBA even close to his talent and skill. But does he have the mental toughness to take over and dominate when the Lakers have to get a basket late in the playoffs assuming they get there?

David Grubb is here to answer that question and shine the light on what the Lakers fans might see during the postseason from Anthony Davis. When it comes to bridging the gap of information from the “Big Easy”, David Grubb has been the guy for Lake Show Life. Everything he has stated on record has come to pass.

Plus he has the credentials.

In 2013, he joined the team at SportsNOLA.com as a contributor before working his way up to cover the New Orleans Pelicans.

David is currently a featured columnist for CrescentCitySports.com as well as The Bird Writes for SB Nation. He is a regular contributor to “The Bird Calls,” a weekly podcast covering the Pelicans.

He was a regular on the now-defunct Sports 1280 AM in New Orleans, he has also been a fill-in host for “The D-League” (Sports 1280 AM) and “Sport-a-facts” (WBOK) and is a regular guest on a number of sports talk shows in the New Orleans area.

Now his daily radio show called “Hard in the Paint” made history making him the first African American sports talk radio host in the state of Louisiana. His podcast with the same name is moving fast up the charts as a formidable show on numerous platforms.

In short, if there is anyone that would have insight on what Anthony Davis will do for the Los Angeles Lakers, David Grubb is the man.

Over the next several pages I asked David Grubb a few questions from our Lake Show Life readers about the struggles of Anthony Davis.

Grubb warned before the season that Davis’ play would be privy to look soft like the last three seeding games. Here is why

David Grubb:

"Anthony Davis hasn’t ever been the favorite since he came to the NBA. The Pelicans were bad when he arrived and they weren’t much better when he left. He will always put numbers in the box score, but when the pressure is on, he moves farther away from the basket. He’s a shot blocker but not a rim protector, and he requires so much assistance to score. He’s been a net negative for the Lakers on both ends the last  8 games. In the bubble, he’s shooting 42 percent. It doesn’t matter the circumstances, that’s unacceptable for a superstar. In the restricted area, he’s shooting 80 pct. on five attempts per night. It’s just a steep decline from there. Less than 30 percent from anywhere else on the court. That shows he isn’t getting to his spots on the floor. You can blame the Lakers’ shooting woes, but one of the “top five” players in the league has no business being neutralized that easily."

Let’s break this down real quick. Putting this perspective, Anthony Davis went to the playoffs once in his seven years. Casual NBA fans keep bringing up the series win back in 2018 against, you guessed it, the Portland Trail Blazers.

Other than that…

In only one other season with Davis did the Pelicans even finish with a winning record! In layman’s terms, with AD in the fold, other than the aforementioned series in 2018, the Pelicans did not win a single playoff game. Even the series win over the Blazers turned Portland’s franchise fortunes around.

But the biggest issue with David’s statement is the shooting analysis. If Anthony Davis is shooting 80% in the restricted area, what is he doing shooting jumpers out to the 3 point line? Most of the restricted area basket seem to be alley-oop dunks and putbacks.

Shooting 30% from other areas of the floor shows that AD is depending too much on the perimeter shot. Some of this is on Frank Vogel, who is hell-bent on encouraging AD to shoot five 3 point shots a game. This won’t help, especially when he’s shooting 33% from distance this season.

The Portland Trail Blazers are not afraid of the Los Angeles Lakers. Turn the page and see one of the reasons why!

Grubb explains why physical players are not as intimidated as they should be of Anthony Davis

David Grubb:

"Why should they be intimidated? He isn’t physical. He isn’t aggressive, and he’s content being LeBron’s little brother. Has it not been a consistent theme this season that once LeBron leaves the floor, the Lakers immediately struggle? They aren’t as good defensively, and you can’t run the offense through him."

Many NBA fans laughed when the Los Angeles Clippers signed Joakim Noah before the NBA shut down back in March. Ah, the context of analytics. Look at the offensive numbers and think that’s the story.

No.

The Clippers signed Noah for his toughness in the low post and his six fouls. He is another big body to wear down AD in a seven-game series. His fouls go along with Montrezl Harrell, Marcus Morris, JaMychal Green and Patrick Patterson. All to wear down Anthony Davis.

Stephen Adams is a big body that would lay wood to Anthony Davis in the past along with other physical young centers that would surprise you. Wendell Carter of the Chicago Bulls and Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns.

Let’s talk about a player that gives AD fits and will be a potential opponent soon. P.J. Tucker of the Houston Rockets. The Rockets have beaten the Lakers twice with the small-ball lineup.

Now it doesn’t matter if Anthony Davis wants to play the center position or not. The Lakers can’t beat the Houston Rockets if he’s not committed. David Grubb knows it, Lake Show Life is figuring it out but what’s worse, P.J. Tucker, Mike D’Antoni, James Harden and Russell Westbrook know it.

It really doesn’t matter who plays the 5 spot because the small ball offense pulls Davis, Dwight Howard or JaVale McGee out of the paint. That player that is giving the Lakers fits is P.J. Tucker, who they plant in the corner while James Harden and Russell Westbrook break for the basket. With the perimeter defense struggling, the pick and roll defense suffers.

https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1291571850389192704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1291571850389192704%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flakeshowlife.com%2F2020%2F08%2F07%2Flos-angeles-lakers-offensive-peril-rockets%2F

• The Houston Rockets will have Tucker in the corner to stretch the defense. He will be in the lower right corner.
• The defense is stretched out because everyone is at the 3 point line with James Harden at the top. Russell Westbrook will be there as well.
• Jeff Green receives the pocket pass at the top of the key and drives to the basket.
• Davis is caught in no man’s land because he has to honor his man P.J. Tucker in the corner. 
• That half-second of indecision makes him late for the rotation and Green gets the dunk.

The narrative that the casual fan tries to pass is who’s going to guard AD in the post? No one because the physical play of Tucker got under AD’s skin and helped render him a nonfactor after the first quarter.

In the playoffs, especially with the shooting M.I.A., physicality will be a constant for Davis. It will start next round of the Lakers play the Rockets because Tucker constantly bangs him and roughs him up. In this game, Davis and Tucker had some words during the game.

While the Lakers shooters struggle, Anthony Davis will face double teams. Unfortunately AD has problems with being double-teamed. Keep reading to see why!

Why Anthony Davis struggles when recognizing and reacting to double teams:

David Grubb:

"Because he is not great at anticipating the defender. When he posted his career-high in assists last season, people thought he had turned a corner as a facilitator, but that was due as much to the amount of space he was given in the Pelicans offense. He doesn’t get that with the Lakers, and the team does not have a great set of cutters to make it easier for him. It’s not a problem that I’d spend too much time worrying about though, there are more important short-term improvements he has to make."

If Lake Show Life hadn’t laid enough reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers are missing Avery Bradley. One of his most underrated talents was his ability to make cuts and move without the ball. Over the season restart, most of the other guards, particularly Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Danny Green are running to 3 point shooting areas.

To illustrate what David is talking about with noticing double teams, we pulled up a game where AD struggled in the seeding games against the Indiana Pacers.

• Instead of establishing himself down low, he tries to create off the dribble. With the guards struggling with their shooting, it’s an easy decision to show hard and double team.
• Watch how T.J. Warren slides down for defensive help and AD does not see him. When Davis goes into the spin, Warren simply breaks up the play and steals the ball.
• In a tie game, watch how long it takes Davis to get back on defense. 
• Late in games, Davis will have to post up and fight for position down low and accept the interior pass and make a quick move to the basket to beat the double team.
• Why? If the Lakers shooters continue to struggle, opponents will pack the lane and do what you see here.

Another problem that Anthony Davis has is actually receiving the ball and holding it too long. There have been instances where he catches the ball on the wing and he waits on the double team. But that is attributed to the lack of aggressiveness and physicality.

Here’s where things get blurry when it comes to Lakers offensive and defensive schemes. Read on to answer this question.

Is Anthony Davis a center that can play power forward or a power forward that can play center?

David Grubb:

"AD should be playing center. He’s always been most effective at the center spot. He just doesn’t want to do it. He’s said as much. He doesn’t want the physical toll of playing in the post. It was a source of conflict with both coaching staffs in New Orleans. But the greatest insight into Davis’ mindset probably comes from his high school coach, Cortez Hale. First, let’s remember that AD won a total of 14 games his final two years in high school. Here’s the quote: “He has no ego,” says Hale. “He doesn’t think of himself as a star.” Long-time NBA writer Ric Bucher summed it up even better back in 2015, “The men who watched Davis evolve from a defensive stopper and spot-up three-point shooter to the one-man, inside-outside threat who helped Kentucky win a title before being drafted No. 1 in 2012 believe wholeheartedly in two things about Davis. The first: He can be every bit as dominant as LeBron James is right now. The second: He won’t be unless someone makes him.“ Who’s going to make him?"

This is not going to be a debate because the NBA that is being played together mandates that AD plays the center role. David Grubb is absolutely right.

Davis does not want to to play the five spot and plainly stated it in his first press conference. The only thing that has kept this issue under wraps is the fact that JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard has played outstanding as a tandem.

Now that scheme is starting to fall through and Anthony Davis may no longer have a choice.

• JaVale McGee has been awful in the NBA bubble.
• Dwight Howard has been plagued with foul issues.
• Vogel will not give Markieff Morris big minutes.

Assuming the Los Angeles Lakers survive Portland, they can’t use the centers against Houston, and Denver. Both Howard and McGee can’t guard to the 3 point line. AD is the only option.

On the offensive end, this is why AD should play the five. What center can stay with him on the break or in the pick and roll?

On the first play:

Watch how Anthony Davis just glides past Jusuf Nurkic on the fast break. Instead of floating to a area and waiting for a pass, he goes straight to the rim.

Lebron hits him with the pass and he dunks the ball before Nurkic knows what is going on.

On the second play:

Remember when no one in the NBA could stop the Lakers pick and roll? What happened? In this play here, AD feigns setting the pick and slides straight to the basket. 

LeBron hit him with the pocket pass at the rim. Portland’s small lineup leaves C.J. McCollum as the guy to rotate over to rim protect. Like that’s going to happen.

With the small ball lineups, the Lakers will face, AD playing the center spot will get the Lakers two things.

Easy baskets or get the opposing front line in foul trouble.

Read on to see if Rajon Rondo’s return will help Anthony Davis get untracked! 

Is Rajon Rondo going to make a major difference assuming he gets back in time for the playoff run? 

David Grubb:

"If Rondo is able to make a difference, it will be as a leader and someone who can actually drive to the hoop and create for others. But “Playoff Rondo” isn’t saving the Lakers, if that’s what fans are expecting."

If this doesn’t show how much trouble the Los Angeles Lakers are in, nothing will. Rajon Rondo is actually questionable for game 2. Sorry David, it’s what the fans (…and some media!) are expecting.

It’s amazing that four short months ago, it was a foregone conclusion that Rajon Rondo would be at the back of the bench where J.R. Smith resides. Now, this guy is being floated as a savior narrative? Well that’s sports media.

Here’s the reality.

Life will become a little easier for Anthony Davis with Rajon Rondo in the lineup. Rondo will dribble the ball for 20 seconds of a 24-second shot clock looking for plays like these.

Rondo no longer has the luxury of playing a lesser role. The Lakers were limited in primary ball-handlers before, now the cat is out of the bag. If AD is on the floor and LeBron isn’t, someone has to initiate the offense.

This discussion about Davis’ role seems to have been a problem in the “Big Easy”. Read on to see what it was.

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.