Following the Lakers’ 2020 NBA championship, Anthony Davis has failed to carry the torch from LeBron James as the team’s best player. AD’s approach now is different than any season in the past however. Former Clippers star, Lou Williams believes that Davis allowed LeBron to receive the spotlight for his major milestone moments but is now ready to get out of the shadow of ‘The King’.
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Through the first seven games of the 2024-25 NBA season, Davis is playing the best basketball of his career. He’s leading the league in scoring with 32.6 points while averaging 11.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. In the past years, there were many headlines outside of basketball that loomed over the Lakers franchise. On FanDuel TV’s ‘Run It Back’ Williams claims that the fresh clean slate for the Lakers is the catalyst for Davis’ early success. He said,
“Whether it was all-time points or Bronny, this and that, I think AD stepped back and let LeBron have these monumental moments… We’re not chasing moments. Now we can settle back into being a basketball team.”
“Whether it was all-time points or Bronny, this and that, I think AD stepped back and let LeBron have these monumental moments… We’re not chasing moments. Now we can settle back into being a basketball team.” – @TeamLou23
WE’RE LIVE ⬇️https://t.co/CfAwAvgFYZ pic.twitter.com/JsWT0VEDnI
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 6, 2024
Entering the 2024-25 season, there were serious concerns surrounding the team’s dependency on LeBron. In the previous season, Davis posted a usage rate of 24.8% which marked the lowest since his third season. The team continued to play through LeBron.
However, Williams suggests that Davis took a backseat to allow the spotlight to be on James because of his monumental accomplishments. These achievements included surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time points record in February of 2023 Fast-forward to this season with LeBron becoming the first father-son duo in NBA history alongside Bronny.
The smoke from the records and accomplishments has settled. The Lakers are back to their number one priority which is winning a championship. In the fashion which Davis has displayed early on, the Lakers need their star big man to take control for them to be contenders.
Davis has earned top player duties from JJ Redick
JJ Redick didn’t waste any time making changes to the Lakers following his hiring as head coach. The first major change involved running the team’s offense through Davis. Previous Lakers coaches preached about doing the same but never truly could accomplish that.
AD’s usage rate this season has skyrocketed under Redick. His usage rate is 29.5%, which is just a tenth of a percent behind his career high in the 2017-18 season. Davis is averaging a career-high 129.5 PSA on the season.
In an unforeseen development, Davis’ jump shot is reminiscent of his days in New Orleans. The 6-foot-10 big man is also shooting a career-high 48% from mid-range. His ability to force the defense to respect him has opened multiple opportunities offensively for the Lakers.
The sample size may not be as expansive but AD has proved that he’s ready to be the number one option. The next step is to carry this level of success for the duration of the season. It won’t be an easy task but it is essential for the Lakers to truly compete for a title.
