Hoop fans in LA LA Land finally have something to cheer about, with the Lakers currently on a 3-game winning streak. Surprisingly, coach Darvin Ham and crew are devoid of the services of LeBron James, who is out with an adductor strain sustained during the game against the Clippers.
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Amid this critical time, the purple and gold have witnessed the resurgence of Anthony Davis, who has been a walking highlight reel, courtesy of his recent performances. Though slightly late, The Brow finally took the reigns, being the leading example on both ends of the court.
The former champion seems to have returned to his Bubble version, leading the Lakers in points, rebounds, and blocks. In the four games played so far during King James’ absence, Davis and co are 3-1. The eight-time All-Star seems to have reinstated some faith in the fans.
One person who isn’t the most impressed with AD’s monster numbers off-late is Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, who feels this should have been long in the making.
Charles Barkley states his disappointment towards Anthony Davis.
The discussion of AD being a top 5 player when healthy is no secret. However, post the Bubble championship, the 29-year-old has spent more time off the court dealing with injuries. During this time, the Lakers slipped several ranks, the worst being not even making the play-in last season.
Sustaining one injury after the other, Davis visibly looked rusty, leaving an aging James to do all the work. Meanwhile, the Russell Westbrook trade failed to give the desired results, making it a turmoil situation in LA, with many even suggesting GM Rob Pelinka trade the former Pelicans superstar.
During Davis’ off time due to injuries, TNT analyst Charles Barkley coined the nickname ‘street clothes’ for the Lakers forward, throwing shade at his injury-prone nature.
Fast forward to today, AD has been nothing short of box-office. Nevertheless, The Chuckster continues to remain unimpressed with the 6ft 10″ forward’s recent outings.
According to Barkley, AD should have been the prime facilitator on offense by now, allowing an aging James to take a bit of a backseat.
Anthony Davis needs to maintain the current pace.
Averaging 25.6 PPG, 12.0 RPG, and 1.9 BPG on 55.4% shooting from the field, Davis needs to be the captain of the ship post-James returning too. This is a perfect opportunity for the three-time blocks leader to place his name along the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic.
With AD returning to his old self and Russell Westbrook thriving off the bench, the Lakers have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs.
