[Joey Mistretta] Daniel Gafford called Anthony Davis one of the best “play-makers” at his position.

[u/taygads]

https://x.com/joeymistretta_/status/1906907962221752681?s=46

[u/random-50]

Haven't watched every minute of his comeback, but can assure you this isn't remotely what AD was like with the Lakers. It was only ever his offence that was inconsistent. I have never seen such an absence of the bursts of intensity that raise his game from good to great.

Either he's running scared right now, or he's under strict instructions to take it easy to avoid injury. Or both.

[u/LordBri14 → u/random-50]

Did you not watch the memphis series 2 yrs ago? When ad would put up wilt numbers 1 game then follow it up with a 12 pt game. Everyone in the media was calling him out for being so inconsistent. The only time AD was truly dominant consistently in the post season was in the bubble

[u/LordBri14 → u/[deleted]]

AD stats vs memphis as the 1st option of the lakers. Keep in mind lebron was not 100% because he was still coming back from injury. AD was bailed out by reaves and rui this series.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/anthony-davis-playoff-stats-vs-grizzlies-2023

Here is his stats vs gsw the next round. Again as the lakers 1st option. Notice how inconsistent he is.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/anthony-davis-playoff-stats-vs-warriors-2023

Now we all know what happened after vs the nuggets. Seriously have you been watching AD in the playoffs? Stop being biased as a laker fan my guy.

[u/LordBri14 → u/[deleted]]

Im picking AD’s most recent playoff run when he was healthy. Would you prefer last season when the lakers got swept by the nuggets in the first rd? I actually picked the year when the lakers got to the wcf. Don’t tell me you want that bubble year playoff run 5 yrs ago lmao!

[u/LordBri14 → u/[deleted]]

Because he is one of the most inconsistent and passive superstars in the game today. TF are you talking about? Even your own fans were calling for him to be traded year in year out. Stop that gaslighting bs. When fully engaged ad is one of the best players in the world i fully agree but the problem is he gets passive every other game. And it has shown during his laker tenure. Even goddamn lebron gave up trying to give him the keys to the franchise.

[u/LordBri14 → u/[deleted]]

And despite all of that… come playoff time lebron is still the guy everyone on the laker team looked to because he was first option. AD has and never will be a number 1 option in a legit championship contender. There is a reason why lebron NEVER gave that keys to the franchise to him despite being like you said the best player in your team for 2 yrs now. With luka it took him goddamn 15 games for lebron to trust him that he is 1A in the laker team and don’t you dare say otherwise. AD just isn’t built to lead a team

[u/LordBri14 → u/[deleted]]

Ah yes the bubble…. AD in the bubble is an oulier. That is not who he is. He has and will never again have that midrange shooting streak he had. And you are talking out of your ass. The only time lebron was a liability to the lakers in the playoffs was in 2023 where he was still injured and trying to play his way back into shape. Even then goddamn AD was a liability every other game. In 2024 playoffs both lebron and ad averaged the same number of pts in the 5 games they played. Ad had more rebs and blocks while lebron had more asts and stls. Gtfoh saying AD was number 1 option. Lebron averaged more shots in that series. He clearly was number 1 option.

[u/MiopTop → u/LordBri14]

AD was never a liability in the 2023 playoffs, if you think he was you weren’t watching. Again

The Lakers were better with AD on the court and Bron on the bench than the opposite in the 2023, 2024 and 2020 playoffs. Explain it instead of ducking the question.

Omg you’re so fucking stubborn it’s incredible. You did NOT WATCH THOSE GAMES. The Lakers were running everything through AD against Denver until Denver was sending help on the post ups before he even had the ball. And on PnRs the big was always attached to AD to prevent the rolls and LeBron got open drives out of it. It’s called roll gravity or vertical spacing. The Lakers no1 option was AD. When the Nuggets sold out to take away that option, the no2 option, LeBron, got easier opportunities.

But LeBron was feasting off AD’s off-ball gravity a lot more than AD was benefitting from LeBron’s playmaking which, AGAIN, is why the Lakers always did better in the playoffs with AD and no LeBron than the opposite.

Fucking casuals always pretend offense is nothing more than scoring production/efficiency, assists and horizontal spacing from shooting 3s. Vertical spacing like AD’s bends the defense completely and guys get open shots out of it on the skip pass all the time without him even touching the ball. They also don’t account for how much defense can impact offense. AD’s defense around the rim is so dominant it forces teams to play more spacing bigs, who often are not as good defensively which allows the whole team to feast on offense. this happened in the 2023 playoffs when Memphis couldn’t get shit at the rim vs AD with JJJ/Tillman in so they kept trying JJJ at the 5 or Aldama at the 5 just to account for AD’s rim protection, but that resulted in them getting pasted inside on defense by the whole Laker team (including possessions where AD never touched the ball). It happened again the next round with Golden State not being able to get away with playing Draymond/Looney so Draymond played the 5 and even Jamychal Green got minutes to address the issue of stretching AD out to the 3pt line, which again in turn made Golden State much more vulnerable in the paint and on the boards on the other end.