Sharing the court and playing alongside LeBron James has certain advantages. Learning from one of the best players to ever play, and watching him analyze and beat his opponents, turns out to be a great learning opportunity for young players. But along with the advantages come the disadvantages, and this four-time All-Star breaks down what it costs to be playing alongside The King.
Advertisement
Former NBA player and four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins appeared on Fanduel’s Run It Back podcast with Shams Charania, Michelle Beadle, and former Sixth Man of the Year, Lou Williams. While on the show, Cousins talked about the criticism that Anthony Davis has faced and how it has stemmed from playing alongside LeBron James. Having played alongside AD for a year, Cousins breaks down the problem surrounding Davis’ criticism.
Boogie mentioned a pecking order that comes into play before the blame reaches the best player on the team. Another reason why Cousins felt that Davis was constantly criticized is due to the fanbase he plays for. The Los Angeles Lakers fanbase is one of the toughest to play for. And it is either a championship or a bust for the Lakers fans.
“I think it comes with the environment. Obviously being teammates with one of the greatest to ever touch, you know, the Mount Rushmore of players and LeBron James. Things go bad, we all know, it’s a list of guys that get blamed before it gets to the best player on the team…That’s just the territory that comes with being a teammate of LeBron James because greatness always comes with him…I think that plays a huge part in the criticism he receives.”
DeMarcus Cousins also took Anthony Davis’ personality into play. Cousins mentioned how Davis is not the most vocal guy on the team. And he would much rather ignore the criticism being thrown at him instead of trying to defend himself in front of the media or on the internet.
DeMarcus Cousins does make a valid point. Since his days with the Miami Heat, LeBron James has rarely been blamed for the team’s shortcomings. And it is not because James may or may not be at fault. It is the pecking order of players that come before James who tend to take the hit. During his time with the Heat, it was either Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh and during his second stint with the Cavs, it was either Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love taking the blame.
Looking at the numbers Anthony Davis has been putting up this season, there aren’t many shortcomings in his game. Davis has been averaging 24.4 PPG, 12.3 RPG, and 2.4 BPG this season, as per Statmuse, being effective on both sides of the floor. Plus, given how AD had to constantly deal with injuries in the past few seasons, he has been quite consistent this year. Yet, the blame tends to fall on him before it does land on the doorstep of LeBron James.
AD’s averages with and without LeBron James
Anthony Davis and LeBron James are now in their fifth year together as teammates playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. While AD may tend to be the scapegoat now that there is no third star to pin the blame, there have been times when playing alongside The King has benefitted The Brow.
While sharing the court with LBJ, Davis has averaged 24.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, as per Statmuse. AD’s point and rebound averages see a drop but his assist numbers tend to go up as James is a reliable option on the perimeter. Davis has shot a good 53.8% from the field with James on it.
When Davis is playing by himself in the absence of LeBron James, his averages have been 25.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. His point production and rebounds see a spike but his assist numbers go down. When not playing with James, Davis’ field goal percentage has also seen a drop down to 51.1%.
Another factor that should be taken into consideration is the team’s overall record when playing with one another. When James and Davis are on the court with one another, their overall record has been 127-74.
But when it is just Davis, the team record has been 26-32. So, as much as fans would like to see just AD, it is a fair assumption that playing alongside James does help in elevating Davis’ game.
