Former NBA executive says Anthony Davis is ‘special’ but needs guard like Rajon Rondo to ‘be great’

By Jason Simpson
Updated: September 1, 2021

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

An anonymous former NBA executive seems to think that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis is at his best when he’s playing alongside a guard like Rajon Rondo.

“AD is special, but he needs a guard like Rondo to be great,” the former executive told Bleacher Report. “But paring LeBron [James] and AD, all bets are off.”

Davis’ first season with the Lakers was certainly superior to his second season with the team. In the 2019-20 campaign, he averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. In the 2020-21 campaign, he averaged 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

It’s possible that this is a coincidence, but Davis’ impressive 2019-20 season came when Rondo was a member of the team. Davis’ underwhelming 2020-21 campaign came without Rondo.

The 28-year-old Davis does seem to flourish when he’s playing alongside a truly elite playmaker.

Fortunately, the Lakers are going to have no shortage of talented distributors in the 2021-22 season. With Russell Westbrook and Rondo both joining the mix, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Davis return to form.

L.A.’s roster is in great shape, and the organization is looking to win its second title in a span of three seasons.