To say that Anthony Davis did not have a good performance in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ Game 2 loss against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night would be an understatement at this point. In a game wherein most folks expected him to dominate, Davis did the exact opposite as he took a step back and was pretty much a non-factor throughout their 103-93 loss in the FedExForum.

ESPN's Stephen A Smith was having none of it. The outspoken broadcaster did not mince words as he annihilated AD for what he considers to be an embarrassing effort from the Lakers superstar:

“It was shameful,” Smith said. “Especially by Anthony Davis — he should be ashamed of himself the way he played last night. … He was nowhere to be found. That is unconscionable. … If this becomes a series, enough time for Ja Morant to get back, if God forbid, you lose this series, we're gonna look at Game 2 as a missed opportunity. And that missed opportunity was by one man. … The one person that you were supposed to be able to rely upon… was Anthony Davis and he was a no-show. Period. Shameful performance. Shameful.”

Stephen A was quick to point out how Davis should have been dominant in this one — much like he was in Game 1 — against a Grizzlies side that was missing the services of both Brandon Clarke and Steven Adams. Instead, AD was a no-show, finishing with 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds, three assists, and two turnovers in 38 minutes of action. He did swat away five blocks, though, which was somewhat of his saving grace amid a truly disappointing performance from the eight-time All-Star.

The good news for Anthony Davis and the Lakers is that this series now heads to LA for Games 3 and 4. They're still in a great position to come out of this first-round matchup with the series currently tied at 1-1, but it goes without saying that the Lakers will need AD to be at his very best the rest of the way.