Reports: LA Lakers front office believes Anthony Davis didn't play like a 'franchise player' during 2021-22 NBA season
The LA Lakers have expected big things from Anthony Davis since his arrival in LA. While AD helped the Lakers win the title in the NBA Bubble in 2020, there have been multiple concerns regarding his health in recent seasons. ESPN's David McMenamin recently reported that the Lakers' front office lost some confidence in Davis as a franchise player last season. He said:
"Apart from missing more games that he played in for the Lakers the last two seasons, there was a sentiment within the team’s front office last season that Davis didn’t look like the franchise player they thought they had coming off the 2020 championship, sources said."
Report: There was sentiment in Lakers front office last season that Anthony Davis didn’t look like franchise player team once thought he was lakersdaily.com/report-there-w…
While Anthony Davis has the potential to be one of the best players in the league, his constant injury problems have led many to question his reliability.
The LA Lakers made a huge move in the 2019 offseason by bringing Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans. Paired with LeBron James, the Purple and Gold created one of the most potent duos in the NBA.
The Lakers gave up plenty of young talent to acquire Davis and hoped he would be the face of the franchise someday.
The trade itself paid off in dividends almost immediately. With the Lakers winning the 2020 NBA Finals and AD looking like the best big man in the league, the Purple and Gold were in a great spot.
Unfortunately for AD, he only played 76 games in the next two seasons combined, and could not live up to his potential as a franchise player.
Click here to read the full story.
Anthony Davis looked impressive during the LA Lakers' preseason games
During preseason, Anthony Davis played four out of six games and looked sharp. With a revitalized jump shot paired with consistent effort on the defensive side of things, Davis appeared to have regained some of his confidence.
Anthony Davis tonight:
• 28 points
• 50% FG
• 2/4 3pt
• 8/8 FT’s
• 21 minutes
Jumpshot’s been looking nice this preseason 🥵 https://t.co/HL4FAHcG2g
Anthony Davis put in a lot of work in the offseason. While the main goal was to get stronger so he could prevent injuries, Davis also had to fill some big shoes this season.
With LeBron James entering his 20th season in the league, many expect Davis to be the main man on offense for the Lakers this season. In 40 games last season, AD averaged 23.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
The LA Lakers' first regular season game is against defending champions the Golden State Warriors on Oct. 19.