The Los Angeles Lakers Big Man Anthony Davis plays like a superstar when fully healthy. The 8-time All-Star is one of the best two-way players in the league. But the problem with The Brow since he arrived in Los Angeles has been his availability. Except for his first year in LA when LeBron and AD led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA championship, Davis has not played more than 56 matches in the regular season. He missed more than half the games in the two seasons following the Lakers title win.

Despite Anthony Davis’ injury-prone nature, Rob Pelinka trusted the Big Man to bounce back and re-signed him to a massive 3-year $186 million contract extension this off-season. The Lakers added former Dallas Center Christian Wood to support AD at the 5. But Davis’ latest request infuriated Stephen A. Smith as he went on a rant ripping apart the Lakers Forward.

Stephen A. slams Anthony Davis for outrageous request

After 2-years of looking like a shell of himself, Anthony Davis gave the Lakers fans a glimmer of hope with his performance in the playoffs last season. Davis averaged 22.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks in the playoffs, leading the Lakers to the Western Conference Final. But Davis was outplayed by the 2-time MVP Nikola Jokic in the Conference final as LeBron James and Co. were swept by the eventual champions. After re-signing with the Lakers, Davis made it clear that he wanted more help at center as he did not want to play at the 5. The Lakers added 6’10” Christian Wood as per the request.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith did not like the Lakers Superstar demanding more help after signing a monstrous contract and ripped him apart on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “This is the Bulls**t now!” exclaimed Stephen A. about Davis’ request. The veteran analyst went on a rant slamming the NBA champion for being swept by The Joker in the playoffs and not being able to help King James the way he should. “You missing more games than LeBron,” Smith said, talking about Davis’ unavailability.

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Smith emphasized on AD’s new Lakers contract, “You’re gonna sit up there and ask for help after getting 186 million dollars!”

Christian Wood’s addition could solve the Lakers’ problems

Whenever AD is healthy, the Lakers look like one of the best teams in the league. With the addition of Christian Wood, who is a career 15-point scorer and a good defender, Davis can get some rest during the regular season and be ready when it is time to play the crucial matches.

The Lakers have brought back their core roster from last season and improved their roster by adding Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, and Jaxson Hayes. If AD stays healthy for the entire season and LeBron continues to defy Father Time, the Lakers have a legitimate chance at winning another championship.

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But Stephen A. is right. Anthony Davis needs to hold his end of the bargain after signing a contract that will pay him $62 million every year.