Lakers fans should panic over NBA exec’s assessment of Anthony Davis
By Mike Luciano
While Anthony Davis has been far from the biggest problem the Los Angeles Lakers have had to deal with during the team’s poor start to the season, but he has certainly not been someone that can stabilize the shaky ground the team finds themselves on.
Davis’ raw box score numbers (23.8 points per game on 53% shooting, 10.6 rebounds per game, 2.0 blocks per game) look fine, but they are nearly identical to what he put up last season. Ranked as one of the worst jump shooters in the NBA, the All-NBA AD we saw in New Orleans hasn’t shown up this season.
As is always the case with Davis, everything he does on the court is going to be overshadowed by his health. The Lakers can’t be overly thrilled with what he’s done so far this year, and some of the big decision-makers in the league are not exactly very bullish on his potential.
An unnamed NBA executive told Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus that he doesn’t “like what [he has] seen” from Davis this season, with his back health once again being called into question. Amid a 1-5 start, the vibes remain extremely uneasy in Los Angeles in spite of some solid defensive showings.
Players averaging 2 BPG and 2 SPG this season:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 31, 2022
— Anthony Davis
Anchoring one of the best defenses in the NBA. pic.twitter.com/fMsHoJmsws
NBA executive lashes out at Lakers’ Anthony Davis
A player with Davis’ physical gifts will always be a double-double machine in the NBA, but the Lakers have to be worried about his long-term outlook. With LeBron James only getting older, it’s fair to wonder if the Lakers can view Davis as the same asset they had when they acquired him.
Davis’ game is not going to age gracefully. He is a poor shooter from 3-point range who has struggled with injuries every year where he’s been in the league. As he starts to hit the infamous 30-year-old threshold, his value as a trade asset is absolutely going to crater.
The Lakers appear to be stuck with Davis, doomed for a half-decade of 20-point, 11-rebound, two-block nights in service of a team that is not equipped to compete for a championship. His defense has been very good so far, but that hasn’t abated the concerns about his long-term viability.
Y’all bullied Anthony Davis into working on his shot last offseason so he linked up with Lethal Shooter. He shooting 20% from 3.
— The Anonymous Nobody (@el_budget) October 27, 2022
The Lakers have no choice but to lean in on Davis and what he brings to the table, as making a roster-changing trade is something that is simply not in the cards at this point in time. Davis can alleviate some of the concerns around him right now by getting back to his Pelicans form, but that is much easier said than done.
