The Lakers have had a terrific start to the season and most fans, analysts, and former players are lauding JJ Redick’s work with the squad. They barely squeaked into the playoffs last season and did not make any significant additions to the roster in the offseason, but have improved tremendously already. Running the offense through Anthony Davis instead of LeBron James has been a welcome change and Paul Pierce believes it was about time.
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On ‘The Ticket and The Truth’ podcast, he claimed it was time for Davis to take over the mantle from James and not only become the Lakers’ best player but also the league’s. He said,
“He gotta be dominant, and KG been preaching this for the last 3-4 years. That big fella gotta be in the MVP conversations if they gon do anything. He gotta take that next step, he gotta be available, he gotta be that guy, he gotta be in the DPOY conversations and MVP conversations.”
James is set to turn 40 in December and while he’s still playing at an elite level, he cannot be the Lakers’ lynchpin on offense if they intend to win the NBA title. Davis needs to step up and assume responsibility, and Redick intends to push him to do that.
AD as the #1 option was Redick’s plan all along
From the moment Redick was introduced as the franchise’s new head coach, he has harped on about wanting to run the team’s offense through Davis, essentially making him the hub of their attacking plays, similar to what Nikola Jokić does for Denver.
So far, it’s going to plan. Through six games, Davis is averaging 31.8 points and 12 rebounds. While he needs to improve on his 2.8 assists per game, he has been stellar at facilitating the ball.
His dominance in the paint means opposing teams must double him whenever he gets inside. That allows him to dish the ball to the open man and keep it moving until one of their shooters gets a terrific look at the basket. His passes off the screen and his pick and rolls are still elite and he’s been more present and not shrunk late in the game as he has in the past.
Davis has never averaged more than 26 points per game in his career, but with the way the Lakers’ new system running around him, this may be the year he finally takes a leap and challenges for the MVP award.
