The Lakers’ struggles are real. It has been a see-saw campaign for the men in yellow and purple thus far. A big reason for their inconsistencies, has been the age factor. As many of their players are well into their 30s, fatigue and injuries come into play. While LeBron James has sat out for a large part of the campaign thus far, 28-year-old Anthony Davis has also had his share of difficulties on the court. Analyzing the same, Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal has destroyed Davis.
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Although they did start in a haywire manner, credit should be given where credit is due. Now, Frank Vogel’s side seems to have found some sort of coordination, and they are notching up some convincing victories. Speaking of Vogel, the coach has come under a lot of scrutiny off late. However, analyst Charles Barkley recently blamed Davis, and not Vogel, for LA’s struggles. This seems to be a popular opinion, as 49-year-old Shaq has also given a harsh reality check to the fellow center-forward.
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Shaquille O’Neal to Anthony Davis: ‘Get your a** back to the post’
One of the Lakers‘ best centers, O’Neal has dominated the league for years. Simply put, he recognizes a player’s role, and believes that Davis’ role isn’t to shoot threes. With a large part of the Lakers squad occupying floor space, someone needs to assume responsibilities from long range. And while Carmelo Anthony has done a great job off the bench, the #3 has been the exact opposite. Him misfiring from the 3-point zone has caused multiple defensive rebounds, which leaves the side in a vulnerable spot.
Anthony Davis is shooting 16.7% 3PT, the WORST CLIP IN
NBA HISTORY among players with 2+ attempts per game and 20+ games played.He is also the least efficient jump shooter in the NBA at 33.1% (min. 150 attempts).
(via @KirkGoldsberry & @StatMuse) pic.twitter.com/ewOxzhTmDe
— Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb) November 29, 2021
While talking on NBA TNT, Shaquille O’Neal made it clear that Davis should stick to his strengths. In a rather destructive manner, he went off on a rant about the 8-time All-star. He said, “We as players gotta step up. Like Chuck said, he [Davis] ain’t holding up to his bargain. If you’re shooting that bad from the three-point line, that tells me one thing. Get your a** to the post where you belong. Get your a** on the post!”
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To be fair, Davis has still had a fairly good outing so far. On the other hand, the standards that he has set demand more from him. If the Lakers stand any chance of a quality finish to their regular season, they will need to figure a way to bring the best out of AD.
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