Anthony Davis is the new face of the Los Angeles Lakers after LeBron James passed the torch on to him. Albeit, King James is still playing at a high level in his 21st NBA season, the leadership is coming from AD in the LA side. Lately, in the new season, the Lakers started more or less on a positive note. They won a couple and lost a couple.
However, in the season opener against the Denver Nuggets, the LA side lost again. Moreover, Anthony Davis was not at his best against the Nuggets. However, in the next two games, AD scored 30+ points. Hence, he clearly improved a lot. But criticism of his poor performance in the season opener does not seem to end that soon.
Shannon Sharpe Criticizes Anthony Davis For His Poor Start Against The Nuggets In The Season Opener
Shannon Sharpe on First Take mentioned the eight-time All-Star must realize what the fans expect from him. Moreover, Sharpe said AD can’t expect to escape criticism after grabbing one rebound in the first half and zero points in the second half in the season opener. Adding to that, Sharpe mentioned Anthony Davis must be mad at himself after his performance against the Nuggets. But AD played both ends, and that’s what his teammates expect him to do. The criticism of Shannon Sharpe can seem a bit harsh because no player seems to be ready to give his best in the first regular season game.
However, against the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings, AD performed brilliantly. How can Mr. Sharpe forget that? He may have scored only 17 points in the season opener but in the following games, AD was terrific. Hence, it is not easy being the face of an iconic team like the LA Lakers. Whenever the team goes through a rough patch, the leader gets all the harsh criticism and blame. But when the side wins, all the noise just shuts up. However, when the season is as long as the NBA is, it is quite challenging to carry on with the purple patch. Every team wants to go through a winning streak, but sometimes it is not that easy.
Derek Fisher Explains How Can AD Shut His Critics Down
Recently, Lakers Legend Derek Fisher pointed out that AD’s game is full of nuances rather than statistical outputs. He might not have any points to show for his game, but his impact on his teammate is undeniable. In the end, Fisher said, winning games will shut all haters and naysayers. Anyway, when the LA Lakers extended the contract of Anthony Davis, they told him what they expected from him. The Lakers front office wants AD to be the leader of the team and take responsibility for the team in any way the team needs him to.
Lakers legend @derekfisher had some interesting thoughts on Anthony Davis’ scoring droughts when he joined me on the @LakersNation Pod pic.twitter.com/ScXv7BpjU9
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) October 29, 2023
The LA Lakers have been through a lot since last season. It would have been impossible for them to reach the Western Conference Finals if it was not for the midseason trading. The players who joined the LA side before the February trade deadline really changed the whole dynamic in the locker room. Later, it was the leadership of Anthony Davis that helped the Lakers reach the WCF.