JJ Redick took the responsibility of guiding Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers this season without any prior coaching experience. In his first season as the Lakers coach, Davis has seen the dominance AD has been showing in almost all the Lakers games. Redick often expressed awe at the performances that have powered the Lakers this season.
However, it was not the case after the Denver Nuggets swept Davis’ Lakers team in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. As an ESPN analyst, Redick was then highly critical of Davis’ performance and openly questioned Davis’ leadership qualities.
“No matter how much we try to make Anthony Davis into this alpha, that’s not who he is. He’s a fantastic basketball player, an All-NBA player, an All-Defensive player; he’s not an alpha. No matter how hard we try to spin the narrative. That is not who he is,” Redick said of Davis.
“He is awesome, but that is not who he is. The fact that he is not the best player on the Lakers speaks more to LeBron not being human than anything else,” he added.
Anthony Davis Faces Criticism From Former Lakers Star
Anthony Davis found himself under fire once again following the Lakers’ 104-93 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This time, the criticism came from Lakers legend James Worthy, who didn’t hold back when assessing Davis’ lack of aggression in the crucial moments of the game. Worthy specifically called out Davis for his passive play in the fourth quarter, where he took just one shot.
“[Anthony Davis] has proven that he’s not the player to say, ‘Give me the damn ball.’ He’ll fade,” Worthy said.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Davis’ overall performance in the game did little to silence his critics, as he only took 10 shots against OKC. While he managed to record 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists, it wasn’t enough to push the Lakers past a determined Thunder squad. Nevertheless, after the loss, the Lakers bounced back with a 105-104 win over the Utah Jazz.
