“He doesn’t want it, he should’ve been shooting the basketball” - Chris Broussard says 8x All-Star is under a lot of pressure next season, believes critics have something to point finger at
Anthony Davis hasn't managed to stay healthy for the past few seasons. His inability to stay on the floor has hurt the lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">LA Lakers' chances of winning another championship.
Davis, who helped the Lakers to the 2020 title, appeared in only 40 games last season. While he is still a fantastic player, he can't contribute while on the bench.
The Lakers went 33-49, failing to qualify for the playoffs, this season. This came a year after their first-round exit against the Phoenix Suns in the previous season.
The situation in Los Angeles is not great. LeBron James wants to win, but he will have to get more from Davis, who will be playing under a lot of pressure next season.
Anthony Davis will be under pressure
Anthony Davis averaged 23.2 points and 9.9 rebounds for the Lakers last season. While these numbers are solid, the sample size is small considering that he missed more than half of the season.
Darvin Ham is new Lakers coach, and he's excited to see what he can do with the roster. However, if Davis cannot stay healthy, next season could be another failure for them.
.@Chris_Broussard has Jayson Tatum as No. 1 on his under duress list this week. "Even though Tatum's only 24, when I look at the East I see Giannis, Embiid, KD. There's no guarantee he'll get back to the Finals."
5. AD
4. Draymond
3. Brown
2. Steph
1. Tatum https://t.co/wEdHeK4J8U
Chris Broussard recently spoke about Anthony Davis' video. In the video, the Lakers big man said he hasn't picked up a ball since April 5, which was his last game against the Phoenix Suns.
"If AD doesn't come out and has a great year, people will point back to this video and say, 'See, he doesn't want it. He should've been shooting the basketball,'" Broussard said. "They may be right, they may be wrong but they will definitely look back at that video."
Davis was probably better off not saying anything, but the damage was done..
When healthy, Davis is one of the league's best players. He's a fantastic two-way player who can impact the game in so many different ways. The Lakers will need that version, not the "Street Clothes AD" version.
LeBron James is trying to motivate his teammate
James recently posted an AD highlight video on his Instagram profile, trying to motivate his teammate. James believes Davis will soon be "unleashed" and remind the basketball world "why he's HIM."
While this is a nice gesture by James, it may put additional pressure on Davis. Broussard certainly thinks that's the case, saying:
"LeBron is trying to motivate him, but that actually adds a little more pressure to him as well."
It will be interesting to see what moves the Lakers make over the summer. They will most likely keep Davis and James, but Russell Westbrook's future may be uncertain.
The team needs better and more diverse players. The West is still stacked, and the East is more dangerous than ever. Competing for a championship next year will be even tougher, but the Lakers could do it if they make the right moves.