"They’re cooked!" - ESPN analyst Timothy Legler believes the LA Lakers will continue to be a subpar team even when Anthony Davis returns from injury
Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers continue to be the center of conversation in the basketball world as of late. The team has drawn plenty of public criticism due to their inconsistent play on the court and their disappointing start to the 2021-22 NBA season. With the Lakers starting to fall down the standings in the Western Conference, the noise surrounding the team has started to grow louder, especially when it comes to the play of their superstar forward.
After an offseason that made a lot of headlines and had many thinking the Lakers could become contenders to make it to the NBA Finals, the team has simply disappointed. One of the main reasons for those struggles has been the defensive play of the team. A number of veterans have struggled, including offseason acquisition Russell Westbrook.
Throughout the Lakers' up-and-down play, the noise surrounding superstar forward Anthony Davis has only started to get louder. When speaking on ESPN's "First Take" today, NBA analyst Tim Legler spoke on how he believes this Lakers team is in trouble, even with a healthy Anthony Davis in the mix.
"I think the Lakers are done with Anthony Davis. They're cooked."
"I think the Lakers are done WITH Anthony Davis. They’re cooked!"
—@LegsESPN https://t.co/AMiZKAqZLa
Throughout the segment, Legler went on to talk about the fact that the Lakers have simply been one of the least impressive teams in the NBA this year when it comes to their play on the defensive side of the ball. It was recently announced that Davis will be out for the next four weeks while rehabbing his knee. The superstar forward suffered an MCL injury during last Friday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Purple & Gold https://t.co/fKWm7iz5GX
Anthony Davis is set to miss 4-5 weeks for the LA Lakers
It's been a recurring situation for Davis throughout his career in the NBA, as he's become a player who has often had to deal with finding himself on the sidelines due to injuries. The timing couldn't have come at a worse opportunity for the LA Lakers. With an upcoming slate of challenging opponents, the Lakers are going to be missing one of their top players for the foreseeable future, which will make climbing the ranks in the NBA Western Conference even more difficult.
When Anthony Davis has been on the court this year, he's continued to produce at a high level. So far this year, Davis was averaging 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 52.1% from the field. Time is running out for the Lakers to right the ship and get back on the right track.
As of now, the team finds themselves seventh in the NBA Western Conference standings, and they are going to need to figure things out quickly in order to potentially slide further down the ranks.
Also Read: Who is Anthony Davis’ Wife, Marlen P?