Lakers have high hopes with Davis
AMID LEBRON-CHINA CONTROVERSY…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anthony Davis doesn't raise a brow at the high expectations he's accepting with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 26-year-old superstar engineered his move from New Orleans to Hollywood knowing that championships are the only acceptable result to the Lakers' legions of demanding fans. After spending his entire NBA career struggling to lift the underdog Pelicans, he welcomed the chance to play for a team and in a city where every game means something big.
And Davis doesn't have to carry his new team, either. LeBron James is here to share the work.
“We're going to feed off each other tremendously,” Davis said. “I think we're two guys who are very selfless and just want to win. When we have two guys like that, it makes both of our jobs easier.”
James has spent his entire adult life facing championship pressure, and his chances of meeting those expectations for a fourth time got exponentially better when the Lakers put these two superstars together. James looks forward to finding chemistry with Davis to create an immediate winner — and to persuade Davis to stick around when he hits free agency next summer.
“We've got a brand-new coaching staff and brand-new players coming to our system, but we do all know how good Anthony Davis is,” James said. “If we're not playing through Anthony Davis while he's on the floor, then it makes no sense to have him on the floor, because he's that great.”
This 16-time championship franchise is currently mired in a record six-year postseason drought, but everything is different and everything is possible this winter. The buzz around the Lakers never truly dissipates in LA, but it hasn't been this loud since 2012.
“When your starting point of your roster is two of the best players in the universe, that's a really strong starting point,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said.
Frank Vogel is spending his first few months as the Lakers' coach figuring out how to mold a cohesive team around his two superstars. He'll experiment with lineups, rotations and rest while the Lakers figure out how to play together in a season they expect to last well into the spring.