Paul Pierce, a former Boston Celtics player, accused LeBron James of hampering Anthony Davis and the Lakers’ growth as a whole unit.
LA Lakers dynamic duo LeBron James and Anthony Davis have carried the weight of the team for the past few seasons. Together, the pair is often referred to as the indestructible duo. However, this season, due to the Lakers’ poor form, rumors of an alleged rift have been rife for a while. Apparently, James is having some issues with Davis, and hence both the stalwarts are not seeing eye to eye.
Meanwhile, LeBron James is out on the bench currently with a right foot injury. Moreover, in his absence, Anthony Davis is thriving and emerging as a complete beast with record performances. This has made Paul Pierce think about how the Lakers are suddenly dominating after LeBron’s departure. The former Celtics player even further went on to term Bron as the root cause of the Lakers’ failure this season.
Paul Pierce Accuses LeBron James Of Obstructing Anthony Davis’ Growth As A Player
Anthony Davis has become a complete beast post LeBron James’ unfortunate injury. He led the team from the front and delivered multiple 35+ points games. The Lakers have won four games post Bron’s departure and leveled up on the West table. However, Paul Pierce, a former Boston Celtics player, has a very strong opinion on the Lakers matter. He put forth his observation that Anthony Davis seems to thrive better as a leader and a scorer in the absence of LeBron James.
Paul accused LeBron of hampering Davis’ growth by not giving him enough confidence the lead the team. The former Celtics player believes that Los Angeles Lakers are a fat better team having Antony Davis as their leader rather than LeBron James. He suggests James to take a backseat and become a supporter of AD and allow him to take charge of the whole team. Well, both James and Davis are exceptional players and leaders in their own right, and each brings different strengths to the table. Claiming one is better than the other at the final stretch of the season seems a little unreasonable.
AD Takes Full Responsibility Of The Loss Against The Knicks
LA Lakers’ dream run ended on Sunday night after they lost to New York Knicks in a last-minute thriller. Despite D’Angelo Russell‘s fiery 33 points, the team fell short of just five points at the end of the fourth quarter. Furthermore, the team’s leader Anthony Davis took the fall for the loss and said it was his fault that the team ended up on the losing side at a crucial stage.
However, his teammate, Dennis Schroder, jumped into AD’s defense and said we win as a team, and we lose as a team. He further added that the whole locker is responsible for the loss, and no individual should get blamed solely. On the other hand, the Lakers have slipped to the 11th spot at the Western conference table with just a handful of games remaining from here on to make a playoff push.