LeBron Not 'Top-Five' Anymore, Lakers' Antony Davis Move A Result, Gottlieb Says

The Los Angeles Lakers made a massive push to land Anthony Davis prior to the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline making multiple offers to the New Orleans Pelicans but they were rebuffed despite one offer including five players and multiple draft picks. But the reason for their desperation has been revealed by NBA expert Doug Gottlieb and it was supposedly not to add a second superstar to the team.

The Lakers have missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and are in danger of making it six as they currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference. It was believed that their urgency to add Davis to the roster, while sacrificing their young core was to rectify the situation and make them contenders again.

James signed a four-year deal last summer and the Lakers are seemingly in a hurry to build a team around the three-time NBA champion at the earliest and hence were unwilling to wait until the summer to make a move for Davis, who has requested a trade from the Pelicans. Moreover, their options in the summer for top players will be limitless with the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Kawhi Leonard among others entering free agency.

However, Gottlieb feels the reason for the Lakers’ all-out bid for Davis midway through the campaign was not to add a second superstar but to bring in a player that can take over from James as they feel his powers are on the decline.

James has made eight straight NBA finals and in the last couple of years with the Cleveland Cavaliers it was almost a single-handed effort to drag them to the summit clash, but he has not been able to do that with the Lakers. He missed 17 straight games with a groin injury – the longest absence in his career.

The Lakers dropped from 4th to 10th in his absence in the Western Conference, but they are not faring too well even after his return. They remain in the same position since his return over three weeks back and are 3.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs in 8th.

“We thought that LeBron James needed another superstar to help him ultimately win another championship. The truth might be that LeBron might need another superstar because he no longer is one,” Gottlieb told Fox Sports Radio. “LeBron is an extraordinary basketball player and an extraordinary human being but he is just a human being. Suddenly, he looks like he’s 34 and coming off his injury and played 16 consecutive years."

“He looks like not only not the best player in the world but not a top-five player in the world. It now appears at least possible that LeBron needs another star so that we can hide the fact that he’s no longer LeBron James,” he added. “He doesn’t move the way he used to, he can’t lead the way he used to. Though he’s becoming a much better shot-maker, his jump shot has always come and gone - especially when he has to rely on contested baskets when he can’t get to the rim because he can’t get by people."

“We thought people around LeBron panicked to get Anthony Davis because the players around him aren’t good enough, when maybe, just maybe, the reason the Lakers and LeBron’s team panicked is because they realized LeBron isn’t good enough anymore,” Gottlieb explained. “This is all normal. Human beings are 0-7bn against Father Time. How does he get better? Next year he’s a year older and it’s a lot harder.”