Lakers News: Stephen A Smith Clowns 'Atrocious' Anthony Davis Second Half

He isn't wrong about this.

Coming into the new NBA season, everyone knew that the fate of the Los Angeles Lakers rested on the shoulders of star Anthony Davis. Davis needed to take the torch this season for the Lakers to take the step they needed.

In their first game of the year against the Denver Nuggets, Davis scored 17 points in the first half, as he tried to set the tone early on. But in the second half, he didn’t score a single point, something that is unacceptable for a player of his caliber.

ESPN NBA Analyst Stephen A. Smith gave thoughts on the performance of Davis, and he didn’t hold back.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NBA on ESPN (@nbaonespn)

This has become a common occurrence from Davis over the years, and it has hurt this Lakers team. LA needs him to step up consistently if they want any chance to win the NBA title this season.

He can’t pick and choose when to be aggressive, and even if he is being double-teamed, he needs to figure out ways to work around that. Davis has all the skill in the world, but he lacks the competitive firepower at times.

His co-star LeBron James isn’t able to carry the Lakers like he used to any longer, so Davis needs to take that next step. Of course, there will be times when James does take over a game, but for the most part, Davis needs to be the face of the franchise.

Davis looked the part in the first half against the Nuggets, but he folded once again in the second half. Going forward, the Lakers need to find different ways to keep Davis engaged throughout games, so they make sure that this doesn’t happen again.

Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or LA Sports Report yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!