Creating a blame pie for the horrid state of the Los Angeles Lakers
By Cal Durrett
Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Davis
At this point, we all know the biggest issue with Davis. It’s his inability to stay healthy. Now in his 10th season, Davis has missed an average of 20 games a year and is currently playing through a back injury. To his credit, he hasn’t had a major season-ending injury, knock on wood, but him playing at full strength is something that just doesn’t happen very often anymore.
Still, Davis is in the midst of a strong season, averaging 23.2 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and two blocks per game. Those are all fantastic numbers, and if only the Lakers could rely on him to play at least 70 games a year, he and James could be enough to gloss over their many issues. However, that’s pretty unrealistic, and it’s time to face the facts.
Davis’ peak with the team was in the 2020 NBA bubble, where he helped lead the team to a championship. That means it’s probably all downhill from there, and the Lakers would be wise to consider their options before re-signing Davis and retooling around him in 2024.
Overall, it’s hard to come down too hard on Davis, despite the trade that acquired him costing the team dearly. He is the player that the Lakers thought they were getting, but they just ignored the fact that he can’t stay healthy. Davis gets 10% of the blame.