Anthony Davis’ toughest critics are in the TNT studio. The Inside Guys have been skeptical about the 30-year-old’s skills lately but they’re also keeping the spark of hope in him alive. NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal finally revealed what the crew thought about the Lakers star. LA clinched a tough win against the Phoenix Suns after struggling at the start. That, however, doesn’t protect AD from the criticism of analysts all over.

When it comes from the Inside Crew, criticism is a brand of tough love. Shaq explained why he and his panel are especially harsh on AD during the latest Los Angeles Lakers game.

Shaquille O’Neal wants more from Lakers pro

The Inside the NBA panel was calling the Lakers vs Suns game when they got real about a certain player. It’s no secret that Anthony Davis has not reached his full potential in recent seasons. The Inside Guys want to change that. This time, Shaquille O’Neal gave his honest thoughts behind all the criticism, hoping AD would take heed.

He said, “We stay on Anthony Davis because we know what he’s capable of. In New Orleans, three, four, five years ago, he was putting up big numbers. We all were saying, ‘This is the Anthony Davis we want to see.’ We haven’t seen that. That’s why we stay on him. Because we know he can do it.”

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The Lakers turned it around in the last quarter, ending with a 100-95 victory. The last points were scored by Davis, making four free throws to seal the deal. He showed all his defensive skills in this game, finishing with 30 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks.

The first game in front of the home crowd was clearly redemption for AD after going scoreless in the 2nd half in the previous game against the Denver Nuggets. A lot of analysts were harsh on him after that, but LeBron James has repeatedly shut down the criticism. After this game, he revealed that none of it affected AD in any way.

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It appears that AD’s performance tonight was a message to his haters. That’s what Shaq and Chuck were hoping for with their criticism of him.

Shaq and Chuck mocked Anthony Davis

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley are not only harsh on Davis but on modern players as a whole. On the first broadcast of Inside the NBA this season, Barkley went on a rant about the current flock of players. He expects them to make every penny of their multi-million contracts worth it.

That sentiment showed in a game last season when Anthony Davis got clocked in the head. He was carted off to the locker room while Barkley and O’Neal burst out laughing. While others speculate over Davis’ declining shooting range, Shaq and Chuck taunt Davis’ streak of injuries. At one point, they implied he’s made of paper with Shaq crumpling a piece of paper.

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This criticism, though, comes from a place of good intentions. With AD slated to take the mantle from King James, O’Neal and Barkley are counting on him to toughen up and be the new Lakers captain.