Lakers' decision to sit out AD: A gamble with postseason hopes?
The Los Angeles Lakers are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference standings. This would put the team in the final spot for the play-in tournaments if the regular season ended today.
It's important to note that they've already played 70 out of the 82 games scheduled for this season. Currently, they have a record of 34 wins and 36 losses, resulting in a winning percentage of 0.486.
After the team's recent win against the New Orleans Pelicans, head coach Darvin Ham informed reporters in the post-game press conference that Anthony Davis would not be playing in their upcoming game against the Houston Rockets.
Despite Davis currently playing without pain, the decision to sit him out was made by the organization to prevent him from playing in back-to-back games.
Darvin Ham on AD sitting out: "He's not gonna play. He hasn't been cleared. ... We made an organizational decision starting with our team doctors to hold him out of back-to-backs."
At this crucial point in the season, when every game can potentially determine whether or not the team will make it to the play-in and eventually the playoffs, benching Davis could be more detrimental than initially anticipated.
As evidenced by their recent game against the Houston Rockets, who are currently the last seeded team in the Western Conference with a 16-52 record, they suffered a 114-110 loss without Davis on the court.
The Lakers have played one game more than the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans, who currently sit in 11th and 12th place, respectively, in the Western Conference standings. If the Jazz win their next game in a head-to-head matchup, they could potentially overtake the Lakers' spot in the standings.
Unfortunately, for the Lakers, they'll have to navigate this tough stretch without LeBron James, who is out indefinitely with a foot injury. With James sidelined, it's up to Davis and the rest of the team to step up and secure their spot in the postseason.
While it's understandable that they want to be cautious with Davis, given his history of injuries, they must also prioritize their immediate needs in order to make the playoffs. In basketball, every game counts, and the Lakers can't afford to drop crucial games, especially against lower-seeded teams.
Lakers improved shooting
One of the team's major concerns during the first half of the season was their poor 3-point shooting, which ranked among the worst in the league.
The moves they made before the trade deadline, including the acquisitions of D'Angelo Russell, Mike Beasley, Jared Vanderbilt, and Mo Bamba, have significantly improved the team's overall shooting and defense.
In their most recent game against the Pelicans, they made 15 three-pointers in 27 attempts, resulting in an impressive 55% 3-point shooting average in the first half. They finished the game with a 46% shooting average.
New franchise record: 15 threes in the first half 🚨
@MichelobULTRA | #ULTRAMoment https://t.co/MXwNPcsml9
With a healthy Lakers team, including James and Davis, playing at their best, along with a supporting cast around them, the team has the potential to achieve great things in the postseason.
However, they must first focus on securing their spot in the playoffs. Sitting Davis when he could potentially play is a luxury they cannot afford, at least not without suffering dire consequences, such as missing out on the postseason.