The Los Angeles Lakers have managed to put together a truly impressive playoff run after some tried discount their potential. While LeBron James is the focus of many debates— Anthony Davis has been a critical element to the team’s success, too.
Before the Lakers consolidated their slew of young players and NBA Draft selections, the team was struggling to get the job done. Acquiring Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans via trade has brought life to the organization and formed a duo with James sufficient to win a NBA title.
During a recent interview with Chris Carson of Forbes, Scottie Pippen expressed his belief that Anthony Davis has been a more valuable offensive player for the Lakers than LeBron James.
“I think it’s going to be a great series. To me, Miami has a little bit of the edge. I think people are overlooking how well they’ve played and their style of play,” Pippen said.
“I give a lot of credit to the way the Lakers have played defensively but I think Miami is ready for the challenge. They have players that are playing with a lot of confidence right now. I don’t take nothing away from the Lakers and LeBron going to his 10th Finals. He still has to prove he can lead a team himself. I think Anthony Davis has shown he’s more valuable to them on the offensive end but I think Miami has more offensive weapons they’ll be able to throw at LA.”
The comment by Pippen will naturally catch the attention of many and probably rub fans of James the wrong way. However, it’s important to remember, Davis has posed severe matchup problems for opponents with his versatility on offense.
It’s only going to become more important for Anthony Davis to make a major impact on offense against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. A team that likes to turn to a zone defense at times will force the Lakers to embrace the skill-set of Davis to better neutralize LeBron James.
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