NBA Insider Ramona Shelburne comes out in support of Anthony Davis, comparing the no. of games played by the Lakers big man to that of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
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It’s been more of a downhill ride for Anthony Davis post his one-of-a-kind performance in the 2020 Orlando Bubble. The former champion’s injury-prone nature continues to haunt him, with LeBron James and the Lakers bearing the brunt to a large extent.
The superstar’s string of injuries has unfortunately made him a subject of trolls, with the likes of Charles Barkley calling him ‘street clothes.’ There is no denying when healthy, Davis is a top-5 player in the league. However, durability continues to be unkind to him.
Here’s Charles Barkley eviscerating Anthony “Street Clothes” Davis last night. The uncomfortable laughter is the best part: pic.twitter.com/ldH2tBoqXQ
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 2, 2021
In the past, many analysts and pundits have called out Davis, wanting to know his off-season routine. It’s surprising to see AD’s conditioning levels, given his teammate being King James, who continues to defy the laws of genetics, refusing to age, playing at an MVP level, entering his 20th season.
Nonetheless, Davis recently had support from unlikely quarters, with ESPN analyst Ramona Shelburne pointing out noteworthy facts, highlighting the unjust scrutiny meted out to The Brow.
“Anthony Davis has played more games than either Kawhi Leonard or Paul George since 2019”: Ramona Shelburne.
In what it seems, the Clippers superstar duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have managed to slip under the radar, while AD continues to be trolled and criticized for missing games. All the superstars mentioned above joined their respective LA teams around the same time in 2019.
Since that time, Davis has played 138-games for the Lakers, while The Klaw and PG13 have played 102 and 133-games, respectively, for the Clippers. Another interesting point to note here is both Kawhi and George missed a chunk of games due to load management.
“I know Anthony Davis has this reputation for not being available. Charles Barkley calls him street clothes. He’s played in more games since 2019 than either Kawhi Leonard or Paul George. AD played 138, Kawhi played 102, Paul George played 133.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 20, 2022
It’s ironic how despite delivering a championship, Davis continues to be targetted, whereas Kawhi and George escape the blame and are yet to deliver the chip. The upcoming 2022-23 season serves as the ultimate test for both LA parties.
