Anthony Davis: 'It Feels Good' to Share Load with LeBron James, Lakers Teammates
After having to do it all at times during his tenure with the New Orleans Pelicans, Anthony Davis is relieved to have a strong supporting cast as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Following Wednesday's 126-93 preseason win over the Golden State Warriors, Davis said the following, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin: "It takes a load off me. It feels good knowing that you don't have to do much. Everybody has a role, and when you have guys all over the board who can score the basketball, you don't need to do everything every possession."
Despite the Lakers winning by 33, Davis finished with only eight points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in 28 minutes.
He had some talent around him at times in New Orleans, such as guard Jrue Holiday and center DeMarcus Cousins, but the team needed huge outings from Davis to consistently compete. Although he owns career averages of 23.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.1 assists per game, the Pels only made the playoffs twice during his seven-year tenure.
However, LeBron James suggested Davis' burden may have helped him become a complete player: "He has seen multiple defenders for seven straight years in New Orleans. He is able to read the defense. He can create for himself any time. There are not many guys in our league that can affect the game the way AD does. He can score, rebound and pass. He just does it at a high level."
Davis and James are co-leading men in L.A. and can each carry a team when needed, but they have no shortage of talent around them. Kyle Kuzma is a rising star, Danny Green and Rajon Rondo have both had key roles on championship-winning teams, and reserve bigs Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee can help spell Davis in particular.
The Lakers have not reached the playoffs in six consecutive seasons, but anything less than a deep run this year would be a disappointment.
Like Davis, James has had to put teams on his back at times, but his greatest success has come when he has had help. With the Miami Heat, it was Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, and with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he had Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
Now that the Lakers have two perennial MVP candidates, the odds of one of them picking up the slack when the other struggles are good. That should lead to a big turnaround from last season's 37-45 squad, health permitting.
