"Anthony Davis has disappointed everybody" - Charles Barkley is disappointed by Anthony Davis not being the best player in the league yet
LA Lakers star Anthony Davis has often been a target of NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley's criticism. Despite Davis' elite performances this season, Barkley once again targeted him. Speaking on Inside the NBA, the analyst stated:
"There's no 38 year old guy should be the best player on a NBA team, no matter how great LeBron is. Anthony Davis, I said five years ago, this guy is going to be the best player in the world in the next - and he's disappointed us."
Barkley continued:
"He's disappointed everybody. He should have been the best player in the league by now."
Watch Charles Barkley's comments on Anthony Davis below:
Charles Barkley: "[Anthony Davis] has disappointed everybody. He should have been the best player in the league by now."
#NBATwitter #LakeShow https://t.co/odfcbRvmj4
While Anthony Davis missed just about half of the games over the previous two seasons, it is hard to argue that he has been the best player on the LA Lakers roster this season. LeBron James is in the midst of arguably his worst season since his rookie year.
His scoring average of 24.9 points per game and his 45.7% from the field are both the lowest since his debut season. Furthermore, his 23.9% from three-point range is the lowest of his career. James has also been banged up, missing six of the Lakers' 16 games, although he will reportedly return on Friday, according to TNT's Chris Haynes.
LeBron James is planning to return from his groin injury Friday vs. the Spurs, per @ChrisBHaynes. https://t.co/zo3wwHUMKN
Anthony Davis has had an incredible start to the season
Anthony Davis has dominanted on both ends of the floor to begin the 2022-2023 season. Through 15 games played, the LA Lakers star is averaging 26.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game. Additionally, he is shooting 56.0% from the field and 83.2% from the free-throw line.
Over the past four games, with James out of the lineup, Davis has taken his game to another level. He has led the Lakers to three wins over that span while dominating the opposition.
Davis has averaged 35.5 points, 18.25 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.3 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game. He is shooting 62.3% from the field and 92.0% from the free-throw line, while getting to the line 50 times.
During the Lakers' most recent contest, Davis became the first player in NBA history to record at least 35 points, 20 rebounds, five blocks, and five steals.
Update: AD is the first player to have 35+ points, 20+ rebounds, 5+ blocks and 5+ steals in a game, per the team. twitter.com/jovanbuha/statβ¦
While the Lakers are just 5-11, if Davis can maintain this level of play and LeBron James can perform at the level he did last season upon his return, the Lakers could end up a much better team than initially expected.