Even though Anthony Davis’ recent injury didn’t worry the Los Angeles Lakers that much, the team knows that the big man missing time can hurt them. It was recently revealed that Davis will be out for four weeks, calming everybody within the franchise. They saw how bad things could go for them without Davis against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday and that has made a lot of people believe that the Brow is the key for the Lakers to beat the New Yorkers in a hypothetical NBA Finals.
At least that is what Stephen A. Smith thought when he first heard about AD’s injury and that is what NBA legend Charles Barkley believes now. In recent hours, the 1993 NBA MVP claimed that if AD isn’t healthy, the Lakers won’t be able to play in the Finals. On TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Chuck made the case against the Lakers.
Ernie: On a scale of 1 to 10, what are the chances of a Lakers/Nets finals?
Shaq: 9.
Kenny: 8.
Chuck: Is Anthony Davis playing? If Anthony Davis is healthy, yes. If Anthony Davis isn’t healthy, the Lakers have no chance of getting to the Finals. That’s a fact.
When asked what team would make the Finals instead of the Lakers, Chuck had a variety of options.
“The Jazz, the Clippers, I’m saying if Anthony Davis is healthy, there is a good chance that these two teams can play in the Finals. I’ll go seven.”
Not having AD on the court is very bad for the Lakers. If the playoffs arrive and he’s not healthy, the purple and gold will have a hard time trying to reach the Finals again. As Barkley said, teams like the Jazz, Clippers, maybe Trail Blazers, or Nuggets could ruin their plans. If they manage to make it to the big series without AD, then the Nets will probably be waiting for them with their Big 3 ready to dominate.
