Anthony Davis expects to be “the guy” for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2024-25.
That role has previously belonged to LeBron James, but Davis said that new head coach J.J. Redick has prepared him to take on some of the offensive burden.
“[Redick] talked about me being the hub of the offense,” Davis said, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post. “That will be different. We won’t know everything until [training] camp when we’re able to get on the floor. We want LeBron to shoot more threes. [Redick] wants to play fast and defend. From what he was telling me, I’m in total agreeance with what he has planned for us. … The goal at the end of the day is still to win a championship. You can’t skip steps.”
Asking Davis to carry the load is not an unreasonable request. The nine-time All-Star averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 76 games for Los Angeles in 2023-24. These numbers were similar to James, who averaged 25.7 points, but Davis’ youth compared to James’ elder status means that the former carrying a larger load could help prolong James’ career.
Health has been an issue in Davis’ career, as his 76 games in 2023-24 were his career high in a season. Staying healthy will be huge for him to take on that role, but a positive 2023-24 at least presents some hope for this reality.
The Lakers went 47-35 and fell to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the postseason. As Redick and draft picks Dalton Knecht and Bronny James join the fold, The Lakers will hope to have some more success in a talented Western Conference.
