The talent of Anthony Davis is mouthwatering. Standing at nearly 7,0” tall, Davis is gifted with a one-of-a-kind game. In addition to his ability to park himself down low, raise his mighty paw, and dominate from the inside, Davis, with the exception of the past two seasons, is a more than capable shooter from behind the arc, routinely nailing over 30% from distance.
While Davis would continue to dominate throughout his seven years in the NBA, seldom did his New Orleans Pelicans make any real noise. With only two postseason appearances under his belt, Davis began bellyaching over his time in New Orleans. Although the middling franchise did their best to placate Davis, they were eventually forced to deal their unhappy star during the 2019 offseason.
Although Davis made his feelings known that he wanted to play in LA, many around basketball circles simply assumed that Davis was referring to the purple and gold associated with the Lakers. However, it was recently revealed that the tremendously talented big man gave serious consideration to joining the Clippers.
Yet, despite Davis’s interest, it was the Clippers who pulled the plug on any possible deal, according to Colin Cowherd.
“I had a good source inside the Clippers that told me when A.D. was on the market, they didn’t think he was a leader or tough,” said Cowherd. “They thought he was gifted, they didn’t think he would play through injuries. They didn’t think he worked out enough.”
There was a long list of reasons why the Clippers reportedly passed on Anthony Davis
The trepidation of the Clippers’ front office, ultimately, was not shared by their down-the-hall rivals. With Davis available, the Lakers handed New Orleans a treasure trove of draft picks and valuable players. As Clipper Nation sulked over the Lakers’ new acquisition, the Clippers made a few splashy moves of their own. During that very offseason, Steve Balmer, the Clippers’ owner, convinced Kawhi Leonard to sign his name on the dotted line and made an unexpected trade for swingman and multiple-time All-Star Paul George. With the two at the helm, the Clippers have been considered championship threats. Nevertheless, in A.D.’s first season as a Laker, he played a major role in bringing championship banner number 17 to the purple and gold.
Still, although Davis did go on to average 25 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in six games against the Miami Heat, it was LeBron James who was their unquestioned leader and Finals MVP. A.D.’s reluctance on the offensive end and unwillingness to be more of a vocal leader, was reportedly the main contributing factor behind the Clippers passing up on him during the 2019 offseason.
“The idea was, everybody loved A.D. and the Clippers have a very deep roster, very shrewd front off. They didn’t love him. And their takeaway was he has to be led. He can’t lead.”