"Don’t fool yourself", "they need is that 3rd star": Fans react to Austin Rivers' bold prediction on Lakers after LeBron and AD's Team USA dominance

Basketball fans reacted to ex-Clippers guard Austin Rivers' opinion on the LA Lakers' championship window during the ongoing LeBron James-Anthony Davis era. After LeBron and Davis dazzled with another strong performance during Team USA's 92-88 win over Germany on Monday, Rivers affirmed that the Lakers can still compete for a championship with their superstar duo.

Austin Rivers took to X (formerly Twitter) and shared a video expressing his thoughts after LeBron James and Anthony Davis ended Team USA's 5-game showcase run as the two best players on the roster.

"When you watch USA basketball and realize the two most dynamic players thus far are two Lakers players…you realize they’re not far behind in competing for a chip. That window can’t be closed considering I’m watching them be the best on the BEST team in the world…🤷‍♂️ thoughts?" Rivers wrote along with the video.

Hoops fans voiced their disagreement with Austin Rivers. Multiple fans shed light on the Lakers' roster deficiency and the lack of talent in terms of role players.

"What they need is that 3rd star. Not super star. Just a solid reliable 3rd option that’s just as consistent everyday. The bench/role players need to be game managers. High iQ/intense defense to hold leads or keep it tight. The 3rd option could be a 3&D like Klay," a fan commented.

"Yeah those two look good, but the rest of our team is trash, it’s the same team from last year, and look where that got us," wrote another fan.

"They have the players around them on Team USA that the Lakers don’t posses. Not to mention they are not playing the minutes they would be playing in LA," echoed another fan.

A couple of fans contradicted Rivers' opinion by reflecting on Team USA's struggles in defeating teams like South Sudan.

"Don’t fool yourself Austin, this Team USA team led by Lebron James almost lost to South Sudan! They were 43.5 point underdogs to put that in perspective and only won by 1 point. So yes, the Lakers are very far off. JJ Redick is not the missing piece, they are a play in team," said an X user.

"This is such a bad take. They damn near lost to South Sudan and the NBA overall has far superior talent than these individual teams overseas. Takes keep getting worse and worse," another fan opined.

Another X user reckoned that the reason behind Anthony Davis' solid performances was the presence of another big man.

"AD don’t shine without Bam."

Time is ticking for LeBron James-Anthony Davis duo

LeBron James joined the LA Lakers in 2018. Anthony Davis arrived a year later. The duo won a championship that came in the bubble in 2020. Since then, the 17-time champions have been a play-in team, despite boasting two of the top 10 players in the world.

LeBron and AD have held their end of the bargain for the majority of the time, barring injuries. The lack of role players who could make a difference in tough playoff situations has haunted the Lakers in the last four years.

Even at age 39, LeBron James continues to be one of the best players in the world. In the last five Team USA Basketball Showcase games, the 4xNBA MVP led the team in points (73), assists (18) and field goal percentage (63%).

Anthony Davis proved to be a defensive monster and a rebounding machine. The perennial NBA All-Star led Team USA in rebounds (49) and blocks (15) despite coming off the bench.