"As much as I would love to give AD credit, he was not on the floor"- LeBron James on Anthony Davis' return making things easy for him
LeBron James cheekily suggested that Anthony Davis' return against the Brooklyn Nets didn't make things easy for him.
James scored 33 points to help the Lakers to a stellar 106-96 win against the Nets. During the fourth quarter, the 37-year-old pulled off two steals in consecutive possessions to help the Purple and Gold take a 15-point lead in the game.
In his post-game press interview, King James said that he went 'Ed Reed' (NFL player) on those possessions. Anthony Davis, who made his way to the team after a long absence, also played a big role in the Lakers' win over the Nets. When asked if Davis' return would help him play the free safety role more often, James said:
"As much as I would love to give AD credit, he was not on the floor when I did that. He ran on the floor after I did that when the timeout happened, but he was not on the floor when I did that."
"But when you got a every year potential Defensive Player of the Year on the floor whatever his minutes is, you can definitely get away with things you couldn't if he wasn't on the floor, because you know you've got the protection behind you or in front of you or whatever the case maybe."
@jovanbuha LeBron, asked if he could play safety more because AD was there, joked "as much as I would love to give AD credit, he was not on the floor... But when you've got an every-year DPOY on the floor, you can definitely get away with things you couldn't if he wasn't on the floor."
The Lakers played a great game against the Nets right from the start. Although Anthony Davis only scored eight points in the game, he was very impactful at the defensive end, where he contributed four blocks. The entire team looked energized at both ends of the floor, which is a great sign for the Purple and Gold.
Speaking about Davis' performance on his return against the Nets, head coach Frank Vogel said:
"We'll probably like to play him a little bit more; hopefully we can get there but it's going to be, you know, a build up. I thought he really changed things for us defensively at the rim with his hands with his deflection; obviously not a big scoring night, but his anchor to our defense is something that's been sorely missed."
Bron with the house call on back-to-back plays ‼️ https://t.co/BY2o1rFl7W
Can LeBron James and Anthony Davis help LA Lakers get their campaign back on track?
The win over the Nets has taken the LA Lakers back to .500 on the season. They are still eighth in the West, and need a lot more wins to climb up the table.
LeBron James has been fabulous since his return from injury, but his stellar form has not helped the Lakers on the consistency front. Anthony Davis and King James, who were a solid duo in the last two seasons, have not had regular playing time this season, which has impacted the Lakers.
First play of the game. Great to have you back, @AntDavis23 🙌 https://t.co/dljoittWhw
However, with Davis' return, the 37-year-old James will be confident of more consistent performances from the Lakers.
Davis' ability to score 20 points per game and provide defensive stability is what the Purple and Gold sorely missed in his absence. With 34 games left in the regular season, the Lakers will hope he stays healthy and helps the team to a top-five finish.