Anthony Davis Discussion: Only Player On Both All NBA + All Def

eh, lebron got a bunch of big scoring games as we got our a**** handed to us to close last season. AD isn't playing up to his pre-laker standard, but he's been our best player on both ends and has been worth his contract.

 

The main question asked if AD this season is: Can he be the guy to take the reigns over from LeBronze?
From what I’ve seen so far this season, the answer is “no.”
Three quarters of great play isn’t enough when you are supposed to be the guy to carry the team.

 

I don’t know why AD can’t and doesn’t like playing the 5…

 

Embiid MURDERED tonight and that's 101 points in the past 24 hours.



I don't think we'll ever see anything like this from AD and it's a bummer. Team isn't built to fit him and the defensive ask is too great. Even if he was capable, don't think he is anymore, he won't have the opportunity.

 

Big showing from AD




Most significantly, it didn't let up in the 3rd.

 

If only we can have this every game. Nice to see a glimpse of 1st year AD

 

the crazy thing about his 59 pts is that he only made one 3

 

37 and 18 are close enough .

 

Trade him for a donkey and a bag of chips

 

We need this consistently

 

not trying to pick on you two, but i knew this was coming (because we can't just be happy with a good game).

the reason this can't happen consistently or every game is because only wilt chamberlain playing against plumbers 50 years ago did this every game.

just be happy you employ one of the five or so players in the league who can do it at all.

 

I don't agree.
You just had Curry going berserk. Doncic same for a longer stretch. Embiid just had a 50 piece and does it often. AD in his prime was expected to be that guy.
I'm not saying he needs to average 37-18 every game, but he should be almost always above 30pts yet it was the first game he did so. He has only one with more than 26.

He's behind Siakam, Bane, Brown and Fox in points average. Before yesterday he was behind Keldon Johnson, Banchero or Maxey. Those guys are miles away AD's talent

It's even more relevant when you have a 3-max team which means your superstars need to carry most of the load and you shouldn't rely on vet mins to have big games.


Nonetheless, it's a happy day. Let's celebrate it. Hope this game gives him some fire and he can continue to show how dominant he is and go for a great season. This unstoppable AD is what we all been waiting for and it's a beauty to watch.

 

"often" = 3 total times in his career. 1 fewer than AD, whose games like that clustered around the same point in his career as embiid's have.

you think he should average 30ppg? because that's what centers do in the nba?

great. and all those teams would trade any of those guys for AD before you could finish the sentence. ppg isn't the full measure of a player.

most of the team is vet mins. AD and lebron can't score 50 per game. some vet mins are going to have to do something every night.

i'm guessing he'll continue to be the best big man defender in the league and put up about 24 and 12 to a chorus of mehs and whines and mr. glasses from laker nation.

 

"often" as in big scoring nights. Embiid had one 15pt game and the rest +25. AD had 3 over 25 this year. AD was expected to be at Embiid level or do you agree he's less talented?

Yes, he should absolutely average 30ppg. That's what we trade him for. As a generational talent, top5 in the NBA. That's what Embiid and Giannis average, the other generational big talents. AD doesn't have any other skills on offense like Jokic to impact the game offensively apart from scoring.

Why are you deflecting? I didn't said we should trade for Keldon Johnson. AD shouldn't be within that group in the scoring department if the narrative is that he is top5/10. You can't have it both ways

I didn't said to average 50. I said 30, which 8 players are doing. You're exaggerating to make your point. It's the bare minimum considering our roster construction. Not only they have that responsibility but they also have almost all the touches so the offense is mostly dependent on them which should make it more easy to get such numbers.

I also think his bar is 24ppg. Which puts him far away of any MVP discussion or top 5/10. We agree on that.
I doubt he gets 12rpg but would be very happy if it's the case. He never averaged even 10 with us but hope he gets to his NOLA numbers



Anyway, I don't to have this "pessimistic" argument about AD after his best night this year that lead us to a much needed win. Let's get another one Friday with another AD big night

 

Dominant performance. I've been happy with him this season but he really brought it last night and looked good on both ends. Delivered in key moments and set the tone for the whole team with Lonnie.

 

I really haven't complained about him.

My gripe has mainly been: if we're not going to utilize him correctly and suck in the process, trade him.

It also helped that BK has nobody at the 5 that could deal with AD or makes him work.

Bryant coming back can hopefully curtail his mins there.

 

Yeah, I think he's played well for the most part. I'm also hoping Bryant helps.

 

he's less skilled offensively, much better defensively. they're different players.

giannis essentially plays point forward. embiid averaged 30 once so far in his career. it's just not very common for bigs, even great ones. dirk nowitzki never averaged 30ppg. nor kg. both generational talents.

yeah i can. scoring is one measure, and AD also does that better than most players. also not sure i claimed he was top 5 or 10 the past couple of years. he hasn't been.

i'm saying that if vet mins aren't going to step up, your two stars have to score 50. vet mins simply have to step up when you construct our roster like we did.

us being 3-11 puts him out of mvp contention. and tbh, people's total ignorance and lack of concern for defense will always keep him out of it, even if we're winning. well, that and lebron being his teammate.

i don't either. it's why i didn't immediately suggest that this performance must happen every night and instead suggested that folks enjoy that it's possible. because if and when you trade AD, you won't get back a player who can do it.

 

right. this isn't going to be repeated against teams with better paint protection. he did the right thing and exploited a soft middle on the opposition, but when we play, say, minnesota, this isn't likely. embiid's big game came against utah, who's similarly soft in the middle. i wonder if lebron hadn't played against utah if AD would have had a bigger game there, too.

anyway, once again, best player on the team, worth his contract, least of our problems.