With NBA trade deadline looming, Anthony Davis — not LeBron James — is putting pressure on Lakers
We know Anthony Davis Want Los Angeles Lakers To gain another big man.
This, in itself, is not surprising, given that he prefers to play the four over the five.
But there is an amazing thing: this time for him Talk to up to up and press the front office in Lakers to perform a trade.
During the past few years, Liberon James The organization’s voice was publicly and secretly. It has always been believed to be one of the main reasons why Lakers trading the pieces of the 2020 Championship team to acquire Russell Westprick In 2021, and when he did not succeed, he made it clear that he was not happy before the 2023 deadline, until he described it as a “question of DuH” when asked Kerry Erfing It can help convert the team. Lakers continued to deliberate Westprook and gain six new players on their way to reach the Western Conference Finals in that season.
Now, with Lakers in fifth place and perhaps just a few adjustments from being real competitors, Davis took it upon himself to give the Director General of Rob Rob Pellinka an unusual kick at the end of the back, using a television interview to make his point of view.
“I think we need another big,” Davis told ESPN. “I feel I was always at my best when I was the four.”
In many ways, it was the most concrete evidence after the death of the flame from James to Davis.
James, which reached December 40, has explained the media over the past few seasons that the Lakers team is now the Davis team. It is clear that Davis is before this role in court. The season opened the MVP basketball playing, currently 25.9 points, at 52.4 percent of the shooting, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 passes and 2.2 blocks in the game.
But being a Lakers spokesman is a new area for him.
(Wallly Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
When Lakers returned to the field after two games stopped in their season due to forest fires around Los Angeles, Davis spoke to the media after their match against San Antonio on January 13. James did not speak that evening.
Now, before the deadline for trade, Davis is the most hiding over the team’s needs.
Davis recently said he embraced him as the “man” on Lakers.
“I just know to do something we talked about in previous years and this year, in order to reach the promised land, I must play how I play now,” Tell Davis Fox Sports. “It was never a conversation with me and [LeBron] Wherever it is like, “hey, this is your team and I give you the keys or anything else.” It was just something we just played from each other. This has just happened. “
Davis feels the urgency to win another championship now, especially given that James admitted that he will not play “until the wheels fall” and it is likely that he only has two seasons or two seasons.
With the deadline for trade on February 6, Davis applied some pressure. He doubled his comments when asked about them yet Lakers defeated the hero of the ruler Boston Celkus Last Thursday.
Davis said Lakers “slightly more disturbance” when he plays the four. In the attack, adding it to its liberation, allowing it to “float a little more”.
“I only started playing the five in 2021,” Davis said. “I spanned, but I was four in the first place. So my whole profession was playing the four. We saw how I play. I feel that I am a little more effective [at the four]. namely, [playing the five] It has its advantages and disadvantages. But the front office knows this. I told them that every year I was here. So nothing is new. But I just feel, I am, I am a better player in the four. “
These were strong words for Davis, who is now in his sixth season with Lakers. In the past, he left most of the policy to James. Now, he is the person who makes a clear call.
It will be interesting to see what Lakers do. Will they trade the first round choices and go after another star trying to win now? Will they take a smaller step with their choices in the second round? Will they stand, as they did on the deadline for trade last year?
James recently said that Lakers need to play the semi -perfect basketball to win their current list. “We have no room for error,” he said.
This is a long thing for James and Davis at the very competitive western conference, with 10 records over 500.
Pelinka has already taken step this season, d’Agelo Russell trading, Maxwell Lewis And three choices from the second round to Brooklyn networks in December Dorian Fini Smith and Milton shook.
But it is clear that the Leckers stars feel that more effort should be made to be real competitors. In fact, on James fortieth birthday on December 30, he presented a very sincere assessment of his team.
“Can we win a championship now?” James asked. “No, I don’t think so. But that is good because we have a lot of way to improve.”
As for the declared desire of Davis in another big man, Dwight Howard was fast to volunteer in this role, which is tweet, “it is not difficult to find a center.” Howard, of course, played alongside James and Davis during their championship in 2020 before playing abroad in Taiwan in 2022-23.
There are many most likely options that Lakers will target if they are looking for another. But this is definitely a lot: Pelinka has some difficult things to weigh.
With Lakers currently playing well, including winning five games from the last six games, it puts pressure on Pelinka to make moves that make them a team for the tournament now. However, of course, this can come to a long -term rebuilding sacrifice after James retirement.
At least Davis explained what he wants.
He wants Lakers to modify the team now, put it and James in a position that allows him to win another title together.
“We always want to get a heroic mentality,” said Davis. “We always want to be achieved.”
In this process, something else is proven.
The so -called the death of the flame was more than just a celebration.
Melissa Roalin is a writer in the American Professional League at Fox Sports. The league has previously covered the photographer, Los Angeles Times, Gulf News Group and San Antonio Frankly. Follow it on Twitter @Melissarin.
Anthony Davis
Los Angeles Lakers
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