(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
LeBron James just formally announced that he will be returning for another season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fans of the team were exhilarated by the news because they believe James holds the keys to another championship banner for LA.
But Kendrick Perkins doesn’t think it’s James who will bring the Lakers to the Finals again – it’s Anthony Davis.
Speaking on First Take, Perkins said that he doesn’t believe James can lead the team to a title this season, but he does think Davis can.
“This Lakers team is going to go as far as Anthony Davis can carry them,” Perkins said.
.@KendrickPerkins doesn’t believe LeBron can lead the Lakers to a title this season pic.twitter.com/Pv5Dp7LfWr
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 13, 2023
Perkins noted that James will be 39 years old in December and that asking him to carry an entire team is an awful lot for anyone, especially someone his age.
He does think that James will still play very well and “get his numbers” but he thinks the team will rise or fall depending on how well Davis does.
James should be the team’s second choice, Perkins said, and Davis should be its first.
This idea has been repeated again and again ever since Davis joined the Lakers back in 2019.
Nearly all analysts and commentators assumed that he was coming to Los Angeles to take control and become the team’s leader.
And although he has been terrific at times for the Lakers, it doesn’t feel as if he has surpassed James as their premiere star.
It’s unlikely that Davis will suddenly turn a corner this year and become the predominant force on the team like Perkins said he should.
It’s more likely that James will again be the one that the team turns to most.
But does he have what it takes to guide his team to a championship one more time?
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