Lakers News: Ex-LeBron James Teammate Believes Pressure Should Be On Anthony Davis To Lead LA

Always some hot takes on First Take !

The Los Angeles Lakers have been in a unique situation for a couple of seasons now and, despite some roster changes, their two main guys remain the same in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. 

However, whenever James is healthy, he has always seemed to be their number one option despite being eight years older than his superstar teammate. AD has certainly shown flashes of being the go-to guy such as in there 2020 bubble run and even multiple times this season, but it is likely going to take a monstrous playoff run this year for fans to officially give him the throne.

For that very reason, Kendrick Perkins made one of his classic appearances on ESPN's First Take and claimed that Davis is the Laker with all the pressure on him heading into the postseason.

.@KendrickPerkins says there is more pressure on Anthony Davis to make a run, not LeBron 👀

"I believe that he is still auditioning for the Los Angeles Lakers to see if [he can] put the franchise in his hands." pic.twitter.com/DHAO3kKkTB

— First Take (@FirstTake) March 27, 2023

"It's no pressure on LeBron James at all," said Perkins. "Everything from here on out that he accomplishes, individually and on the team, is icing on the cake. Now when it comes down to who's under the most pressure, it's Anthony Davis. We're talking about a guy that's 30-years-old, that is in his prime, that is averaging 25 and 12, that is not only trying to show the world that he can carry a team this season... but I believe that he is still auditioning for the Los Angeles Lakers."

Davis likely would have taken that next step already with the purple and gold if not for an extended injury history. It seems as though he can never share the floor enough with his team to truly show his final form. His reputation throughout the league is well-known as a two-way superstar that doesn't have many weaknesses. Unfortunately, that same reputation has been tainted by his health.

AD's dominant stretches in the 2022-2023 season thus far have been up there with the best in the league. The Lakers would not even be fighting for a playoff spot if he wasn't putting up multiple 30-point games with over 15 rebounds. However, fans expect far more than just a playoff berth.

Anthony Davis' stats this March:

27.2 PPG
12.2 RPG
2.9 APG
1.6 BPG
57.1 FG%

On a mission! 👊#NBA #Lakers #AnthonyDavis pic.twitter.com/WUVl0zMzNC

— Fadeaway World (@FadeawayWorld) March 27, 2023

When it comes to The King, Perkins is correct that he does not have much left to prove but that doesn't mean he wants to wing rings any less than before. The two shared the court together previously with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Perkins got to witness his greatness up close.