LeBron James goes Gaga on Lakers’ Anthony Davis amid massive criticism of NBA All-Star laziness: ‘Can’t wait for it to be unleashed’

Anthony Davis drove NBA fans crazy when he recently said he hadn’t shot a ball since April 5. Fans were quick to get on Davis’ case as they expected the Lakers to be much better than they were in 2021-22. Meanwhile, LeBron James has posted videos of him training tirelessly as he prepares for his 20th season in the league. The Lakers fans were clearly disappointed with AD’s words and hope next season goes better.

The Los Angeles Lakers had a miserable year amid several injuries and off-court problems. After Russell Westbrook was traded at the start of the season, there were huge expectations for the 2020 NBA champions. That all quickly went out the window as it was clear to see that the team was incoherent. Injuries aside, the Lakers were a mess defensively. They quickly went from championship contenders to play-in candidates.

Anthony Davis’ Regression

The Lakers had several individuals who underperformed, and one of them was superstar Anthony Davis. He has missed 78 out of 154 games in recent years. Even when he played, he didn’t look like the same man anymore.

In his first season with the Lakers, Davis shot 33% from the deep while having 3.5 tries per game. Those numbers have dropped significantly this year as he shot just 19% on 1.8 tries per game.

His free throw shooting also decreased at an alarming rate. While he attempted 8.5 free throws per game in 2019-20, that number dropped to just 6.1 attempts this year.

His free throw percentage also dropped from 85% in 19-20 to 71% this season. His injury history could be a reason for the declining number of free throw attempts.

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The Lakers fans should expect a much better result than 11th place next season and they wish everyone would be better, including Davis. So when he learned that Davis hasn’t shot a ball since the end of the regular season, the fan base must have been outraged.

LeBron James supports AD

While the basketball community was busy bashing Davis for his comments, his teammate and friend, LeBron James, came to defend him. He posted a video of AD’s best plays with the Lakers, along with a caption to support him.

LeBron knows Davis’ impact on the basketball court. They battled their way to an NBA championship in their first year together as a duo. James defending Davis just proves how close they are to the field and if they can get healthy they could be a headache for any team in the league.

DIVE DEEPER

Have multiple injuries affected Davis’ willingness to play physical basketball? Or is he content to be a one-time NBA champion? Only time will tell how Davis and the Lakers perform next season. The fans hope to see a suitable Anthony Davis night in, night out.