Hero of the fans a few days ago, Anthony Davis saw his rating drop following his last two performances with the Lakers. A phenomenon that a famous insider tried to analyze, who thinks he knows the reasons for this sudden drop in speed.
With averages of 35 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3 blocks per game, he could have claimed the title of Player of the Week in early March. In the absence of LeBron James, Anthony Davis perfectly knew how to take over as leader of the Lakers. At least for a while, since his latest performances are much less admirable, and unsurprisingly earned him criticism.
Anthony Davis accused of picking his Lakers games
Only author of 8 points against Toronto a few days ago, Davis was nevertheless able to count on his supporting cast, and especially D’Angelo Russell to emerge victorious from this match. However, his 17 points against the Knicks proved insufficient to obtain a success however precious for his team. Very angry with himself after the encounter, the Unibrow was the subject of a viral theory by Nick Wright:
“The moment Anthony Davis doesn’t have to be excellent for the Lakers to win it’s like he throttles down a bit.”
— @getnickwright on AD putting the Knicks loss on himself: pic.twitter.com/tDpu0kMfsR
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) March 13, 2023
Anthony Davis has been playing incredibly well the past few days, and what happened on Friday? D’Angelo Russell has returned from injury. Of course, I’m not blaming D-Lo, who played very well on Friday, and was pretty good against the Knicks. But as soon as Davis can say to himself, “Oh, I don’t have to be excellent to win,” it’s like taking his foot off the accelerator!
For the journalist First Things First, AD would therefore have the unfortunate tendency to adapt his level of performance according to the circumstances in which he finds himself. Thus, seeing Russell perform alongside him would lead him, consciously or not, to slow down on an individual level. An analysis that will certainly be debated in the NBA microcosm, as Wright, an expert in the field, certainly hopes.
In order not to completely alienate the fans of the star interior, the latter nevertheless wanted to highlight his consistency on the defensive level, even during the famous recent meetings:
On the other hand, on the two games – and especially Friday, he was exceptional in defense, just like the Lakers. And it’s all to his credit.
For Nick Wright, Anthony Davis could possibly adjust his level of play depending on the supporting cast he has. A hypothesis that requires verification, and that The Brow will undoubtedly try to deny this Tuesday, on the floor of the Pelicans!
