Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving play different positions on the court, but LeBron James believes he can play with the former in the same way that he did with the latter years ago.
According to a press conference during the team’s media day, James met with the Los Angeles Lakers to discuss how he wants to play with Davis, and it’s similar to how the 15-time All-Star used to play with Irving on offense.
In regard to his meeting with the Lakers to suggest running things through Anthony Davis, LeBron reminds he did the same thing for Kyrie Irving after returning to the Cavs.
— Matthew Moreno (@Matthew__Moreno) September 27, 2019
During his second tour of duty with the Cleveland Cavaliers, James left some of the playmaking duties to Irving. The four-time MVP would sometimes play off of him, content to leave much of the decision-making to his young protégé at the time.
Now with the Lakers, James appears willing to do the same with Davis, who is considered one of the best players in the game. Leaving some of the decisions on offense to the six-time All-Star will hopefully free James from the wear and tear that comes with taking too many responsibilities on the court.
At 34 years of age, James is no longer the spry, athletic wonder that he once was, though he is still capable of delivering nightly high-wire acts. But he is taking his load more seriously this time after he went down with a groin injury last December. The injury sidelined him for several weeks during the 2018-19 season en route to playing his lowest number of games (55) in a season.
With Davis having previous experience as the franchise player of the New Orleans Pelicans, James will more than likely have more time to rest on the offensive end of the court to attend to his defensive duties once the 2019-20 season begins.
