"Dominant early in game and then go ghost" - Gilbert Arenas takes dig at Anthony Davis, questions his clutch gene

Gilbert Arenas believes Anthony Davis vanishes in the fourth quarter. The former NBA guard claimed that the LA Lakers big man is better suited to the opening three quarters and that his impact dramatically wanes during the fourth, and most notably, in the clutch.

Arenas' comments came via his "Gil's Arena" podcast, where the former guard often shares his unabashed takes about players in the league. Davis has received significant criticism for his performance level in recent years. However, Arenas pointing out his fourth-quarter struggles is a new caveat to the discussion.

"Sometimes I think, he's averaging 19, but it's like at the wrong time," Arenas said. "He's taking 19 shots, but it's never when we need him. When we think about the superstar, someone carrying our team, let six of those shots be in like the last four minutes of the game.

"So, I think if he just took six shots and it's the last six shots of the game, we'll be like, 'Oh AD is out here killing.' But I think the problem is he be so dominant early in the game and then goes ghost. I think that's what probably irritates you know, like the hooper hoopers. It's like, 'Oh you're a first three quarter guy.'"

Davis has seen action in 17 fourth quarters this season, averaging a paltry 4.2 points on 2.9 field-goal attempts, a torrid return for a player who is supposed to be one of your team's superstars. The Lakers will undoubtedly be searching for answers regarding Davis' struggles late in games, especially as they look to elevate him into the first option on offense.

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Anthony Davis needs to raise his game down the stretch

If Anthony Davis is truly going to be the LA Lakers' go-to star down the stretch as LeBron James continues to age, he will need to become a more reliable scorer in the final quarter of games. His current production isn't aligned to a conducive clutch-time offense, and that could generate significant issues for Darvin Ham's team in the future.

Of course, Davis has proven himself to be a big-time scorer throughout his career. Yet, his career average of 5.9 points in the fourth will need to rise. However, it's worth noting that the veteran big man is converting 50.5% of his career shots in the final period of play.

With that data, it's easy to conclude that the Lakers could simply force-feed Davis some additional shot attempts and look to push him into becoming a dominant clutch scorer. He clearly has the size, strength, shot diversity and scoring talent.

The Lakers aren't likely to rush into running their final plays of a game through Davis. LeBron's presence within the rotation ensures that he will be entrusted with closing out tight games. Yet, LeBron can't play at his current level forever, no matter how hard he fights the aging process.

As such, the Lakers will eventually have to trust Davis with his ball in his hands down the stretch. He needs to start earning that trust now, while the defense isn't fully honing in on him.