Will a healthy Anthony Davis be enough to lead LeBron James-less LA Lakers for a playoff push?
Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers (32-34, ninth in the West) have finally made their way back into the Western Conference play-in picture. They have done so without star forward LeBron James, who remains sidelined with a right foot tendon injury.
It was reported on March 2 that James would be re-evaluated in three weeks and could miss additional time. With just 16 games remaining, the Lakers may be forced to close the season without him.
This means that Davis will likely have to stay 100% healthy and play at a superstar level to keep the Lakers’ playoff hopes alive.
This is exactly what Anthony Davis did on Tuesday night versus the Memphis Grizzlies. Davis finished with 30 points, 22 rebounds, three assists and two blocks on 64.7% shooting as the Lakers secured a crucial 112-103 victory.
Following the win, AD spoke about how the team isn’t satisfied and how their confidence is only growing:
“It's good, but we're not satisfied. We don't want to stop there. We want to get greedy.
“Guys out there are confident, and when you play basketball like that, it leads to victories.”
The Lakers are now 3-2 since James went down with a foot injury on Feb. 26 against the Dallas Mavericks. Davis has played in four of those games, averaging 33.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.8 blocks per game on 55.4% shooting.
This is the kind of production LA will need from Davis moving forward.
The LA Lakers made multiple moves at the trade deadline to improve their shooting and defense. They added players like Malik Beasley, D’Angelo Russell, and Jarred Vanderbilt.
Russell is still out with a right ankle sprain but is expected to return on Friday versus the Toronto Raptors. Meanwhile, some of the Lakers’ other role players like Austin Reaves and Dennis Schroder have stepped up in James and Russell’s absences.
So it’s pretty clear that the Lakers have quality depth. However, as important as depth is, having a legitimate star is that much more crucial.
One of the main criticisms of Anthony Davis throughout his career has been his inability to carry a team to success as a No. 1 option.
In seven seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, Davis only made the playoffs twice, winning just one playoff series. Outside of their 2020 title, the Lakers haven’t won another playoff series with AD either, including missing the playoffs last season.
Davis now has a massive opportunity to prove himself in the prime of his career. If he can lead LA to the play-in and possibly the playoffs in the absence of LeBron James, that should silence many of his critics.
Upcoming schedule for Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers
Ten of the LA Lakers' final 16 games will come against teams below .500. This includes two games each against the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls. They will also play one game each against the Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic and OKC Thunder.
Simply put, with or without LeBron James, the Anthony Davis-led LA Lakers should have a very good shot at at least making the play-in.
Considering LA is ninth in the West despite being under .500, the team probably only needs to go around 8-8 to secure a play-in berth. If they do so, anything could happen in a win-or-go-home play-in scenario.
Plus, James could be back in time for a potential play-in matchup anyway. So there is certainly still hope in LA, despite the pessimism surrounding their superstar’s injury.
For the LA Lakers' full upcoming schedule, click here.
Also read: "Full-blown Wilt Davis!" - Lakers coach Darvin Ham has all the love for Anthony Davis after massive W against Grizzlies