LeBron’s former teammate says he’s no longer Lakers’ best player and needs to take backseat to Anthony Davis

Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins believes Anthony Davis is the best player on the Los Angeles Lakers right now, and he wants to see LeBron James give the big man the “keys to the car.”

“I gotta go with LeBron James on this one,” Perkins said when discussing who’s to blame for L.A.’s heartbreaking loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday. “… We talk about, ‘Who is the best player on the Lakers right now?’ And that is Anthony Marshon Davis. … And so when I look at last night collapse, I’m thinking to myself, ‘How in the hell did Anthony Davis only shoot two shots? Why didn’t LeBron James take control and go to the point guard position and force-feed Anthony Davis?’ … I think it’s time that LeBron James — not halfway, but all the way — give him the keys to the car.”

On Monday, the Pacers stole a win from the Lakers as time expired, dealing a huge blow to the momentum that L.A. had been building. There’s plenty of blame to go around for the loss, but James has been criticized by many for the defeat.

As Perkins mentioned, Davis only took two shots in the fourth quarter. With the way he’s been playing lately, there’s no doubt that the team needs to get him more involved in key situations.

Anthony Davis has been on a tear

The eight-time All-Star has been virtually unstoppable over his last seven games. During that stretch, he’s averaging 30.9 points, 16.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.9 blocks per game while shooting 61.5 percent from the field.

When Davis is playing at this level, he’s one of the best players in the league, so Perkins’ argument certainly holds water.

It’s been a while since the last time Lakers fans saw this version of the veteran. Folks in Los Angeles are hoping that his stellar play won’t go to waste.

The Lakers had won five of their last six games before Monday’s defeat. After the loss, they’re now 7-12 on the season, which is a frustrating truth considering the fact that they would’ve pulled within three games of .500 had they held on against Indiana.

Still, the team has been showing signs of life lately. It remains to be seen if L.A.’s current roster has what it takes to keep things moving in the right direction.

If the Lakers really want to take advantage of the season Davis is having, perhaps they’ll choose to finally be aggressive and make some additions via trade.