In the midst of their title defense, the Lakers seemed to be on top of the world but one thing was missing. The Anthony Davis fans have seen this year has not looked the same. He has been putting up his lowest scoring numbers in six years and is struggling.
On February 14th, in a regular-season game against the Nuggets, Anthony Davis went down with what at the time seemed like a devastating blow for a Lakers team with championship aspirations. Davis will return sooner rather than later which is good news for the Lakers, but how will they fare the rest of the way?
Injury All Of The Sudden
There have been fewer major injuries than in previous years. Most of the fans’ favorite players are all-stars and the health of players seems to be the best ever. Only one top ten player so far has dealt with lingering injuries so far, Anthony Davis. A short offseason has led Davis to be on and off the court this season.
Even when Davis is on the court sometimes he just looks invisible. This is just not the Anthony Davis us basketball fans are used to seeing. It seems that he is becoming somewhat of an afterthought. He has gone from MVP candidate to possibly not even an all-star this season. I think it is fair to say this is not the Davis we know, and that he’ll back. The only question remaining is when.
Keep Him Out Longer?
If I’m the Lakers coaching staff and management what is the point of rushing Anthony Davis back. If Anthony Davis reaggravates his injury and it becomes even worse than before, the whole season is practically over. Of course, you have Lebron James who is an undisputed top-two player of all time.
The problem is that LeBron James carrying a team with loads of depth but no true third star will not end in the Larry O’Brien trophy for the team in purple and gold. Anthony Davis’ health will be the deciding factor for a championship run. Consequently, Davis might have to ride the bench a little longer.