Lakers Forward Excited About Veteran Guard Union, Plays Down Clippers Rivalry

Anthony Davis was always leaning toward the Los Angeles Lakers after he made it clear that he wanted out of New Orleans Pelicans prior to the trade deadline in February. The Boston Celtics were touted as the initial favorites but the Lakers were always near the top of his list about potential destinations and he got his wish in the summer when they won the race for his services by parting with three players and multiple first round draft picks.

The addition of Davis to a roster that includes Lebron James instantly made the Lakers one of the favorites for the 2020 NBA championships. Moreover, Davis and James were also given a say in the players being recruited to build the roster for the new season and Davis now has the players he wants alongside him including former Pelicans teammate Rajon Rondo.

Rondo, an NBA championship winner with Celtics in 2008, spent last season with the Lakers but managed just 46 games due to injuries. The 33-year-old point guard averaged 9.3 points, 8.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 29.8 minutes per game and that was enough for the franchise to re-sign him again this summer.

Rondo is expected to be part of the rotation for the Lakers with many expecting the likes of Quinn Cook and Alex Caruso to get a more prominent role as the starting point guard alongside James, who is likely to be the main ball handler in the team. However, if Davis’ comments are anything to go by, Rondo is certainly not going to be a periphery member of the squad.

“I’ve got Rondo back as my point guard — he’s a guy I can count on to get the ball in my sweet spot,” Davis told Peter Flax of Red Bull’s Red Bulletin, indicating that he expects Rondo to have a major role within the team.

Another mouth-watering prospect awaiting NBA fans, especially Los Angeles basketball fans, is the rivalry between the Lakers and Clippers, who have also made two elite acquisitions this summer in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. They are currently the No. 1 favorites just ahead of the Lakers for the 2020 NBA championship.

It is the first time in many years that the two teams have been so closely matched and their four matches in the regular season will be highly anticipated. There is a possibility they will face each other in the post season, which gives more opportunity for the rivalry to develop.

Davis, however, admits that the Lakers are aiming for their season to be much bigger than just a rivalry with the Clippers. He made it clear that the team’s goal this season is to win the championship and therefore, their focus will be on the entire league and not just their city rivals.

“I’m not sure what the Clippers are thinking,” Davis said. “But I know what the Lakers are thinking — and that’s to play basketball. Obviously, they have a great team, but we know that for us it’s going to be bigger than a rivalry. You know, winning a rivalry game doesn’t win the championship. So for us the goal is to win a championship this year.”