The NBA season has finally begun. While this marks the beginning of months of thrilling basketball games, it also brings criticism and puts athletes under the microscope. Till now, we’ve only had two games, but some athletes have already hit the radar of pundits. The LA Lakers vs the Denver Nuggets game was a thriller, however, it has put Anthony Davis on notice.
Criticism around Davis’ name is not new. Even during last season, his abilities were questioned several times. This time, the Laker is being blasted in comparison to the Nuggets star.
Anthony Davis gets blasted by Celtics legend
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Davis’ role is of more importance in the Lakers camp than it ever was. With the Lakers superstar LeBron James going into his 21st season, it is time for AD to step up his game. Although he faired well during the first game with 17 points and played for 34 minutes, it seems to be not good enough. King James was once again the best performer on the team as far as the stats go. He dropped 21 points in the season opener and coupled it with eight rebounds and five assists. In the end, it didn’t help save the LA franchise from the loss as they suffered, their first defeat of the season, 119-107.
Soon after the game, Paul Pierce had some harsh criticism for the Lakers camp. Starting off with Davis, Pierce said “Anthony Davis needs to learn how to play his size”. The Boston Celtics legend is of the opinion that Davis was clearly outplayed by Nikola Jokic. If we look at the results of the game, his criticism stands true. Jokic dropped a triple-double on the Lakers’ head, on the big season opener. He scored 29 points and had 13 rebounds and 11 assists to his name. Pierce also explained why the LA franchise, despite being jacked with superstars was so easily outplayed.
Paul Pierce on Nikola Jokic and Denver Nuggets basketball.
“They went out and showed the Lakers who their daddy was” pic.twitter.com/K671HSXgni
? n i k o l a e s t h e t i c (@nikolaesthetic) October 25, 2023
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“They went out and showed the Lakers who their daddy was”, He added in appreciation for the Nuggets.
Nikola Jokic’s secret
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Last season, Jokic was one of the best players in the league. Although he didn’t win the league MVP, the Serbian took his team to the finals and bagged the Finals MVP award. However, in the offseason, people were of the opinion that he was not training like the other athletes as there were clips of Jokic just having a good time. Pierce said that this Nuggets team is not living in the “hangover” of a championship. More importantly, Jokic did in fact practice for the new season and it is showing on the court.
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