NBA insider highlights Dwyane Wade & Kyrie Irving's roles with LeBron James to explain Lakers' struggles with Anthony Davis

Instead of building their system around LeBron James, first-year head coach JJ Redick has shifted the LA Lakers’ focus to big man Anthony Davis. This strategic change for the 2024-25 NBA season has led to struggles with Davis as the team’s primary option.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne believes the Lakers’ issues stem from making Davis the focal point of their offense, which has slowed the team down. In the "Mason & Ireland" show, the analyst said the team's pace has taken a hit because of the shift.

“The Lakers have been top five in pace the last few years,” Shelburne said. “Playing through LeBron, they play fast. This year, they’re one of the slowest teams. Why do we think that is? Playing through Anthony Davis. If you’re going to play through AD, it’s a different game.”

According to NBA Advanced Stats, the Lakers are 20th in pace this season, a huge drop from fourth last year.

Shelburne also suggested that Davis has yet to prove to James that he can be the team's first option.

“I think with LeBron and AD, LeBron’s always going to default to like, ‘It’s my team, I’m gonna make us win, I gotta have the ball, I gotta do it.’ And he’s gonna keep doing that until somebody impresses him enough to say, ‘Alright, you do it.'”

The ESPN expert then compared LeBron James’ current dynamic with Davis to his previous partnerships with Kyrie Irving and Dwyane Wade, who had actively demanded the ball from James.

“Do you know who’s ever done that to him in his career? Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving. Those are the only two guys I can say… who have said, ‘Give me the d**n ball,’ and LeBron said, ‘Okay.’"

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Anthony Davis says he has to be better to help LeBron James, Lakers

Davis has become the Lakers' No. 1 option. Since the season started, the team has shifted its approach, designating the 6-foot-10 frontcourt star as its go-to guy. AD is averaging the most points and shot attempts on the team and leads in usage rate at 29.8%.

After the Lakers' consecutive blowout defeats to the Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves, Davis said he has to be better on both ends to help establish the team's tone.

"Guys are doing their parts and I’m not doing mine, which is tough for our team. I just have to play better individually on both ends," Davis said (per Spectrum). "I hold myself to a higher standard and I haven’t been doing what I need to do, especially offensively, for our team."