Anthony Davis’ Long-Term Absence
Whether the Los Angeles Lakers like it or not, their chances of reaching the playoffs next spring rely heavily on the health of Anthony Davis.
The numbers aren’t lying either. Davis is averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 33.4 minutes per game. Those numbers go up to 31.2 points, 14.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.2 blocks, and one steal in the 11 wins he played in. At some point in the early goings of the 2022-2023 season, Davis even cracked the top ten of the MVP race.
However, injuries are a part of the game, and for an injury-prone player like Davis, that injury happened at a time when the Lakers looked like they finally figured things out following their 0-5 start.
In their game against the Denver Nuggets on December 17th, Davis missed the second half of that game after sustaining a right foot injury. While the Lakers won that game and their next contest versus the Washington Wizards without their leading scorer and rebounder, the Purple and Gold are now riding a 4 game losing streak.
Making matters worse is that Davis is out for at least the next month, and possibly more. For a scuffling squad such as the Lakers, that’s a long time, especially when you consider their struggles without Davis on the floor.
The Impact
With Anthony Davis out with a “stress injury” it means LeBron James and company need to attempt to fill the huge void Davis is leaving behind. It also means the Lakers need more from Russell Westbrook.
To be fair, LeBron has played well even without Davis. In games without the Lakers big man, James’ numbers go up virtually across the board. Against the Sacramento Kings on December 21st, LeBron finished with 31 points, 11 assists, six rebounds, and two blocks in 34 minutes. However, the Lakers lost the game, which is a common theme when the 29 year old isn’t in the lineup. Huge individual stats for the Lakers, but a team loss.
Another effect of Davis’s injury is that it could force the Lakers’ front office’s hands on the trade front in an effort to reinforce the roster with a better supporting cast for the 37-year-old LeBron James.
After all, the Lakers did say they would wait until the first 20 games of the new season before deciding whether or not they needed a roster shakeup. Now 33 games into the season with a 13-20 record, it’s evident they’ll need to make a move or risk wasting another LeBron season on the west coast.
While any potential deal almost assuredly begins with the Lakers releasing the last of their future 1st round picks, that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from liking players such as Kyle Kuzma or even a Myles Turner to the franchise.
Either way, Anthony Davis’ long-term absence will have a massive effect on the team’s postseason aspirations. And with big men and foot injuries, setbacks and delays in their recovery are almost a guarantee.
With nearly half the season in the books, time is quickly running out for the Lakers if they don’t make a move in a hurry.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Miguel Discart. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.