Anthony Davis Enjoying Life With Lakers, LeBron James

The New Orleans Pelicans didn’t want to give up on Anthony Davis, because he was carrying most of the load on his back, but he is a Laker now. Finally. Davis has become a key player for the Los Angeles Lakers, and he has noticed a major difference between the teams.

At halftime of the Lakers’ 126-93 win over the Golden State Warriors, Davis had six points on 2-for-4 shooting, but his team was winning by 26 points. He told LeBron James that it was the first time he’s been in a situation of this kind.

“It takes a load off me,” Davis said following his debut at Staples Center wearing a Lakers uniform. “It feels good knowing that you don’t have to do much. Everybody has a role, and when you have guys all over the board who can score the basketball, you don’t need to do everything every possession.”

Davis sprained his right thumb in the game against the Nets in China. He finished with eight points, eight assists and 10 rebounds with two blocks. LeBron led the Lakers with 18 points and 11 assists. Davis averaged 23.7 points per game in his seven seasons with the Pelicans.

“He has seen multiple defenders for seven straight years in New Orleans. He is able to read the defense. He can create for himself any time,” LeBron said. “There are not many guys in our league that can affect the game the way AD does. He can score, rebound and pass. He just does it at a high level.”

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel likes what LeBron and Davis create on the floor.

“It doesn’t have to always go through LeBron like it has with teams past, and it doesn’t always have to go through AD,” he said. “Quite frankly, even when those guys are out, I love the role players that we have and their ability to carry the load as well. Whether it’s having two lob threats, and playing the spread game.

“We’ve got a number of shooters out there that can make you pay when we force help, and there’s a lot of experience on our club, so hopefully the usage and workload will be spread out.”

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