Question: How can Batum start at center and guard Gobert, but AD won't?

Eric Bieniemy · Post #1 » by **Eric Bieniemy** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 2:54 pm

Does Davis need to be told/forced to do what is CLEARLY best for this team?

I understood it when they were trying to keep him happy to resign him, but he's signed now.

Why are they babying this dude?

fteru6uhre54ew · Post #2 » by **fteru6uhre54ew** » Sun Jun 13, 2021 10:09 pm

When AD isn't be playing at center position versus Gobert when he loves that matchup. A guy that is less physical than him and doesn't present any problem on offense and that he can expoil him on the other end easy. Man that's an horrible take.

The people need to stop with the horrible bias of AD at the 5. The last two seasons in NO he plays full time at the 5 he just prefer don't bang low and tire himself in a position more physical during the RS and expoil smaller guys at the 4 mixing with the center position but in the Playoffs he always plays at the 5 most of the time.

Freighttrain · Post #3 » by **Freighttrain** » Mon Jun 14, 2021 6:46 am

They started him at the five whenever the Lakers needed him to, and he was fine with that as he told reporters. He just didn't' want to, like the previous post mentioned, bang with the big guys in the regular season because he's too physically fragile. He should change his diet and workout program completely because what he's doing now isn't working. He's too good to be constantly injured.

Post #4 » by **Slava** » Mon Jun 14, 2021 7:51 am

For one, Clippers invested the veterans minimum in Batum for a season, so he is the most expendable of assets. Lakers on the other hand, have a 5 year max invested in a 27 year old Davis.

tamaraw08 · Post #5 » by **tamaraw08** » Mon Jun 14, 2021 3:01 pm

siFy wrote:When AD isn't be playing at center position versus Gobert when he loves that matchup. A guy that is less physical than him and doesn't present any problem on offense and that he can expoil him on the other end easy. Man that's an horrible take.

The people need to stop with the horrible bias of AD at the 5. The last two seasons in NO he plays full time at the 5 he just prefer don't bang low and tire himself in a position more physical during the RS and expoil smaller guys at the 4 mixing with the center position but in the Playoffs he always plays at the 5 most of the time.

I think some fans forget that AD has a nagging shoulder injury from way back when.

Rachel Nichols, Jackie MacMullan and Kendrick Perkins discuss the shoulder injury to Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis, which Perkins says dates back five years -- even beyond Perk's time playing alongside AD with the New Orleans Pelicans.

This video was uploaded in 2019.

Watch on YouTube

AD was also questionable for the the play-in game vs the Warriors bec of this injury. One strong hit on that shoulder can flare up that pain. I have to believe Pelinka is aware of these nagging injuries but he just didn't have a choice but to offer the max.

TylersLakers · Post #6 » by **TylersLakers** » Wed Jun 16, 2021 10:24 pm

I've said this a few times in other posts but Pelinka, Rambis, Vogel and the coaching staff need to sit down with Davis, LeBron and their representatives in the off-season and have real conversations on starting him at the 5 next year. The league has completely changed in 5 years. Does it mean you start him at the 5 for every game? No. But with LeBron at this stage of his career being a PF (4), AD has to move to his more natural modern day position.

It'll open up the offense for everybody. It'll make AD more effective because there'll be so much more space on the court. Instead of driving into a big man who's guarding Dwight Howard (2020) or Andre Drummond (2021) in the dunkers spot, he's going to have more spacing to be the focal point of the action. Considering the way the game's played, I think he'll take LESS abuse playing the 5 nowadays then he would the 4.

Also, best way to convince him to do it? Acquire talent that he thinks will make it worth it to move to the 5.

iamworthy · Post #7 » by **iamworthy** » Thu Jun 17, 2021 12:44 pm

In the two years AD has been here he's already helped deliver is a championship and could have easily been the finals MVP. His defense is insane and he's already said he's willing to play center when it matters. That being said, he's built up equity with me to do whatever the he'll he wants.

lazybatman · Post #8 » by **lazybatman** » Sat Jun 19, 2021 1:18 pm

OP's such a troll.. lol

Eric Bieniemy · Post #9 » by **Eric Bieniemy** » Sat Jun 19, 2021 2:42 pm

Oftentimes players need to be told who they should be playing with on the floor.

Davis plays best surrounded by smaller, more versatile players. His team performs better when smaller, more versatile players surround him.

We all know that Davis and James are modern-day fives and fours. The inly thing keeping them from playing there almost exclusively is their unwillingness to do what they're told and, more importantly, the Lakers unwillingness to tell them.