LA Lakers insider lobbies for Anthony Davis trade: “At least give your fans hope that there is a future beyond the potential for 0-11”
LA Lakers superstar Anthony Davis is receiving flak for his performances this season. LA Times journalist Bill Plaschke is now calling for Davis to be traded.
The LA Lakers had started their season with a miserable 0-5 record. While this record didn't stand for long as the team notched their first win on Sunday night, they haven't been exempt from criticism.
Russell Westbrook and LeBron James are the primary subjects of criticism on the Lakers roster. However, Anthony Davis has received some harsh comments as well.
Davis is one of the most talented big men in the league. As an athletic forward with immense two-way ability, the Lakers have placed a lot of expectations upon the 29-year-old this season.
The main concern regarding Anthony Davis is his fitness. Having missed a significant amount of time due to injuries, Davis has been practically a no-show on the floor for large parts of the season.
This was seen when the superstar was mentioned in the injury report recently against the Minnesota Timberwolves as well. Considering that the Lakers lost to a team with two superstar big men, fans were furious with Davis sitting out the game.
In this regard, LA Times' Bill Plaschke went as far as to lobby for a potential trade involving AD. He wrote:
"First thing, the Lakers need to finally, seriously entertain the idea of trading Davis. C’mon, can they at least think about it?
"Give up the belief that he’ll ever be resilient. Give up the trust that he’ll do the proper offseason training. Give up the notion that he’ll ever be a season-long force. Give him up for a couple of first-round draft picks and start the rebuilding process.
"Ship him off now, get younger, get more draft capital, at least give your fans hope that there is a future beyond the potential for 0-11."
LA Times’ Bill Plaschke says the Lakers should trade Anthony Davis
“Ship him off now, get younger, get more draft capital, at least give your fans hope that there is a future beyond the potential for 0-11.” https://t.co/KPjvuYRiDJ
Plaschke went on a vehement rant that surmised the Lakers' struggles as a whole. Calling for trades and a rebuild moving forward, the journalist offered some valid criticism of the LA Lakers.
However, almost poetically, Anthony Davis came out strong against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. With a key role to play in securing the Lakers' win this season, Davis may have just sent in his response to Plaschke's comments.
Anthony Davis came up big for the LA Lakers on Sunday
Bill Plaschke's criticism of Anthony Davis was followed up by an impressive outing for the LA Lakers superstar. Notching a double-double in the matchup against the Denver Nuggets, Davis played a huge role in ensuring a win for the Purple and Gold.
Davis was outstanding in Sunday's matchup against Nikola Jokic. Taking on the reigning NBA MVP, the Lakers superstar did a tremendous job on both ends of the floor.
Having established himself as the defensive anchor and leader, Davis notched 23 points with 15 rebounds along with a block and a steal each.
While his defensive stats didn't spark much awe, Davis looked masterful on the defensive side of things. He locked up the paint by altering shots and constantly communicating.
Davis being aggressive is a worthwhile sight for Lakers fans and the team has certainly rallied around the superstar playing through injury. In many ways, it offered a glimpse into Davis' potential as a leader.
Darvin Ham on Anthony Davis’ impact despite reaggravating the back issue video courtesy of the @Lakers: https://t.co/8GmkanRkVK
Anthony Davis did a lot of things right on Sunday night. With hopes of seeing this becoming more of a trend, the LA Lakers will also hope to build upon the momentum of their first win.