Former NBA veteran Richard Jefferson recently took a jab at Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis, claiming that he’s “not a top five player.”
“No one calls him a top five player,” Jefferson said. “They call him a top five talent. A top five talent is one of the most disrespectful things. The reason why I call you a top five talent and not a top five player is because top five players do it every single night.”
It sounds like Jefferson will need to see Davis take a step forward in the upcoming season in order to consider him a top five player.
One area where Davis struggled last season was with his health. Staying on the floor is a major key for any superstar player. The fact that the 28-year-old only appeared in 36 games in the regular season probably didn’t help his standing in the eyes of many.
However, Davis likely isn’t concerned about the outside noise. The eight-time All-Star is one of the most important players on a Lakers team that is looking to win its second title in a span of three seasons.
In the 2020-21 campaign, Davis was solid when healthy. He averaged 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He also knocked down 49.1 percent of his shots from the field.
He’ll hope to stay healthy and make a big impact in the upcoming season.