“If I put Anthony Davis on the Houston Rockets, they’re gonna be significantly in the playoffs” - Kenny Smith's bold claim about AD’s absence proving costly for LA Lakers
NBA on TNT analysts Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley had a heated debate regarding the LA Lakers' struggles without Anthony Davis.
The topic came up following the 17-time NBA champions' 132-111 blowout loss against the LA Clippers on Thursday. Smith claimed that the Lakers have been in a tough spot because of Davis being frequently injured again.
He went on to say that AD would've propelled lottery teams like the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs to the playoffs if he was in their lineup and 100% healthy. Smith said:
"If you have Anthony Davis in any lineup in any team, if I put Anthony Davis on the Houston Rockets they're gonna be significantly in the playoffs, if I put Anthony Davis on the San Antonio Spurs or Portland Trail Blazers, they're in the playoffs, if you put him on the Lakers they're fourth seed, without question."
Anthony Davis' injury issues played a part in the LA Lakers dropping to the seventh seed in the 2020-21 NBA season. It was also the key reason behind their first-round exit from the 2021 playoffs against the Phoenix Suns.
The story hasn't changed much this campaign either. Davis has played only 37 games so far and is currently likely to be sidelined for the rest of the regular season with a midfoot sprain. He has had two unfortunate on-court incidents that have led to him missing games this time around.
Anthony Davis suffers a nasty ankle injury and collapses right away during Lakers-Jazz.
AD had to be helped off the court and couldn't put any pressure on his ankle.
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The Lakers sit ninth in the Western Conference right now and are eight games below the .500 mark.
Is Kenny Smith spot on regarding Anthony Davis' absence and the LA Lakers' struggles?
Several teams have been affected by injuries this year, but the LA Lakers seem to have struggled the most. Their co-captains, Anthony Davis and LeBron James, have missed several games, which has hurt the team. The duo are crucial to the way the Lakers play on both ends of the floor.
Davis was especially vital this year as the Lakers added Russell Westbrook to their roster in the offseason. Spacing was going to be an issue for the team, and AD's ability to stretch the floor while playing at center was key to the Lakers' chances of executing their plans.
The LA Lakers have also struggled on defense, especially in the interior. A major reason for this is that Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan are no longer as effective as they were back in the day. Davis' presence in the post would've provided the Lakers an opportunity to be more aggressive guarding the perimeter.
However, in his absence, the team has expectedly failed big-time on the defensive end and their offense hasn't clicked either. On the balance of things, Kenny Smith doesn't seem far off in his judgment regarding the Lakers struggling without AD this year.