"Always been a thing with him"- JJ Redick blasts notion around Anthony Davis
Amid LA Lakers superstar big man Anthony Davis' dominant start to the season, his coach JJ Redick blasted his critics for never being satisfied.
Despite being a nine-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selectee and five-time NBA All-Defensive team member, Davis has long been the target of criticism. Throughout his first 12 seasons, many fans and analysts consistently called for him to take his game to another level.
Davis has done so to begin his 13th campaign, delivering elite two-way production as the focal point of Redick's new offensive system. Through seven outings, he is averaging a career-best and league-leading 32.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.7 blocks per game, shooting 57.1%.
Ahead of Monday's road matchup against the Detroit Pistons, Redick was asked what more Davis could do on both ends of the floor to silence his doubters. The rookie coach noted that the 2020 NBA champion's naysayers will never be satisfied regardless of his accomplishments.
"People always want more from Anthony Davis," Redick said. "The guy can have 30 (points) and 12 (rebounds), and people want more from him. ... It's just always been a thing with him when he's been with the Lakers. That's a fact."
However, perhaps if Davis leads LA to another title as a clear-cut No. 1 option, fans and pundits will stop nitpicking his shortcomings.
JJ Redick on Anthony Davis thriving in featured offensive role
Following Friday's 131-125 road win over the Toronto Raptors, JJ Redick touched on the reason for Anthony Davis' strong start.
According to Redick, Davis has benefitted from LA's increased ball movement, with more offensive plays running through him.
"It's a testament to how we envisioned our offense. The ball is going to find our best players," Redick said. "We can certainly put guys in certain positions within our alignments and within our system to exploit their skills. But the ball is going to find AD if we play the way we want to play, and then we always look for ways to feature him with a set call."
The Lakers followed up Friday's win with an unexpected 115-103 road loss to the Pistons on Monday, dropping to 4-3. Nevertheless, Davis finished with a game-high 37 points, nine rebounds and four assists, shooting 56.5%. That marked his fifth 31-plus-point performance in seven appearances.
So, given his early consistency, Davis' increased scoring output doesn't appear to be a fluke.
Also Read: Former NBA champion touts Anthony Davis as MVP candidate, highlighting his transformed impact on Lakers offense