Los Angeles Lakers: It’s time for Anthony Davis to prove his worth

The Los Angeles Lakers mortgaged their future for Anthony Davis. With the season approaching, it’s time for AD to prove them right

Choker.

Doesn’t have the clutch gene.

3-6 in the NBA Finals.

Can’t win without multiple stars.

These are just a few of the criticisms LeBron James, fair or not, has dealt with since the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him No. 1 in the now the infamous 2003 NBA Draft. Despite eight straight trips to the NBA Finals, multiple MVP’s, and a plethora of other hardware, the chirping has followed James wherever he’s gone. But for the first time in what will be his 16th NBA season, the pressure is on somebody else: Anthony Davis.

Sure, LeBron will still have his critics, that will never change and the greatest players are often the most dissected. But he’ll be 35 in November, and assuming good health, will end the year third all-time in minutes played, regular season and postseason combined. That’s not to say he’ll take a major step back. His defense has come and gone the past few years, but he’s still one of the three or four best players in the NBA.

His new running mate, AD, just might be one of the two or three players ahead of him.

After what can only be described as a drama-filled season for AD, all eyes are now on him following his arrival to the Los Angeles Lakers. Gone are the days of quietly dominating in the obscurity of New Orleans, where he was a six-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA, and three-time All-Defense (He most likely would have made All-NBA and All-Defense this season had he not played so sparingly in the second half). The New Orleans Pelicans twice made the playoffs during his seven-year tenure in Nola, bowing out to the Golden State Warriors each time.

When Rich Paul, the agent for both James and Davis, announced publicly Davis wanted out of New Orleans, many around the league suspected foul play. After all, not only is Paul the agent for James, he’s also his longtime friend and It was no secret James was seeking a second star to join him in L.A.

A deal between Los Angeles and New Orleans was seemingly on the brink leading up to the trade deadline, but when talks subsided, many questioned if a deal would ever happen. Rumors swirled about the Lakers and President of Basketball Operations at the time, Magic Johnson, growing unhappy with the demands of the Pelicans front office.

Nevertheless, on the evening of June 15th, a deal was struck with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski breaking the news.

It remains curious as to why trade talks stalled last season. The package the Pelicans received is in line with what they requested prior to the deadline. Regardless, the Lakers got their man and the Pelicans gained multiple talented, young pieces to pair with Jrue Holiday as well as drafting possibly the best rookie (Zion Williamson) since, well, Anthony Davis.

Which leads us back to the original topic at hand. I believe, the pressure is almost solely on Davis. I know that might sound crazy, but as previously stated LeBron will be 35 this year. He missed significant time for the first time in his career this year, due to a groin injury. When healthy, he still averaged 28/8/8 on the year, so the offense isn’t the problem. Defense and durability, though, remain question marks going forward.

Listen, I don’t expect this to be a James and Dwyane Wade situation, in which Wade ceded control of the Miami Heat when the two teamed up, along with Chris Bosh, back in 2010. James will still more or less run the offense and often be the focal point. Despite his ridiculous skill for his size, Davis is still the inferior playmaker and offensive creator. But that might be the only place he trails Lebron.

Defensively, Davis is a unicorn capable of denying shots at the rim, dominating on the glass, and switching onto and smothering guards. Offensively, you could say he’s a bit of a unicorn as well. He’s automatic at the rim whether it comes from a face-up and drive, as the roll man, or after securing an offensive rebound. He struggled a bit in the mid-range this past year but has been good from that distance for his career. And over the past few years, he’s stretched his range out to the 3-point line, making just under 34 percent the last two years on 307 attempts.

I mean look at this clip ESPN put together of his top 10 plays in New Orleans, specifically #9. 6-foot-11 humans shouldn’t be able to do that.

Davis forced his way out of New Orleans, with two years still left on his contract. That alone soured many people on him and will cause expectations to be sky-high. Davis, similar to LeBron, will also start hearing the whispers should the duo finish with anything less than a championship. Heck, even Davis not being able to stay healthy will be used against him should the Lakers fall short.

Davis numbers during his two playoff runs were downright dominant. It’s not his fault the Pelicans went up against and were subsequently eliminated by the Warriors both times. But the media and casual fan don’t care about your statistics if you don’t win, just ask LeBron.

Assuming good health, the Lakers will be a contender till the very end. Whether they finish on top remains to be seen. I’m not overly fond of their roster after the big two. An inefficient third option (Kyle Kuzma) and a random cast of over the hill veterans and mediocre role players don’t inspire much confidence. Combine all that with a loaded Western Conference and a title run is no guarantee.

LeBron will always have his doubters and naysayers, that’s inevitable when you reach his level. But, I also believe the casual fan is smarter, savvier, and more informed than ever, which will begin to lower expectations as his career winds down.

But fans are often less willing to overlook your shortcomings when you’ve never won, particularly among the games elite, and make no mistake about it, AD is one of the game’s elite. He’s also only won a single playoff series in his career. Should the Lakers come up short, It’ll be Davis, not LeBron, who hears it from the doubters. Now it’s time to set back, enjoy the ride, and see what happens.