Anthony Davis has established his status as a leader within the Los Angeles Lakers roster following his recent endeavors. The 31-year-old displayed his worth after leading the franchise to 2 wins against Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Milwaukee Bucks without LeBron James. His heroics excited the NBA community as Eddie Johnson, a Houston Rockets legend, expressed his thoughts on Davis’ rising confidence.
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Johnson recently shared his perspective during his latest appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio. The 64-year-old declared, “He beat him [Giannis] twice this year, without LeBron and he has played well…That gives him a lot of confidence. He can walk away and hold on to that…So I think that gives him more confidence than just him playing the 52 minutes”.
Amidst the high praise, the words carried an ample amount of truth considering the output of Davis. In the initial matchup on March 8th, 2024, the 9x All-Star played a pivotal role in securing a comeback victory. As per ESPN, the Chicago-born registered a double-double of 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists in 41 minutes to lead the franchise to a 123-122 home-court triumph.
The following away clash on 26th March resulted in a dramatic series of events with Davis eventually steadying the Lakers’ ship. His talismanic endeavors helped the team secure a 128-124 double-overtime victory over the Bucks. As per ESPN, the 2020 champions registered yet another double-double of 34 points and 23 rebounds in 52 minutes while exceeding expectations.
His brilliance during these clashes provided a glimpse into his remarkable campaign this time around. His efforts have turned him into a contender for the 2023/24 DPOY while an All-NBA spot also seems to be on the table.
In the midst of this, it becomes extremely difficult to disagree with Eddie Johnson’s words. After all, how could these performances not give a player confidence? Especially given the fact that he was playing against Giannis Antetokounmpo, it would be shocking if the Los Angeles Lakers big man wasn’t riding high on belief at the moment.
Paul Pierce also showered his admiration for Anthony Davis
Apart from Johnson, Paul Pierce also displayed his confidence in the rise of Davis. Following the Lakers’ last win against the Bucks, the Truth called the 6ft 10″ sensation “the best player on the planet”. He further elaborated on his stance while making a bold claim during his appearance on UNDISPUTED.
“AD needs to be the man for the Lakers to go forward, and I think a lot of that has to do with LeBron pulling back and allowing these guys to free up and maybe the Lakers can become a contender,” he declared.
Despite the optimism from Pierce, Davis might require more assistance from James before taking over the roster from him. However, his words proved that the organization could finally be on the right track. Now, fans can only hope that this is Anthony Davis’s potential coming to fruition, rather than this being nothing more than a purple patch.
