Players and coaches in the NBA often talk about having the “next man up” mindset when someone gets injured, but it is always a lot easier said than done. There is a reason why that player was heavily featured in the first place, and it is never easy to replace a crucial piece of the team.
The Los Angeles Lakers pretty much knew when Anthony Davis went down that they were in deep trouble. The Lakers managed to win the game against the Nuggets despite AD exiting at halftime with a foot injury, but it has been all downhill since then. They have lost four in a row without him, and after their latest defeat to the Mavericks, Patrick Beverley admitted that there is nothing the Lakers can do to fill the AD void.
“Obviously there’s nothing you can do to fill the void of Anthony Davis — especially, the year he’s had this year, not only offense, but obviously rim protection, rebounding,” guard Patrick Beverley said. “You have to do it collectively. And as a start, defensively.”
“The last four or five games, we’ve given up 120 points, plus. Ah, it’s tough to win in this league if you’re giving up that many points. We’re scoring a ton of points, though. It’s a positive, but we’re giving up a ton too.”
Fans may not like to hear that, but he is just being honest here. Davis was doing so much for this team on both ends of the court that they just can’t do anything to fill the void left by his absence. Beverley is not the only one to admit that they are in trouble, with LeBron James stating that as well.
LeBron James Openly Admitted That The Lakers Will Struggle Without Anthony Davis
LeBron has been trying his best to will the Lakers to victory in AD’s absence, but even his excellent play hasn’t been enough. James has played in each of the last 3 defeats and has averaged 34.3 PPG, 8.0 APG, and 4.7 RPG while shooting 58.2% from the field. Despite those gaudy numbers, the Lakers only really had a chance to win one of those games, and that was against the lowly Hornets.
After the Dallas game, LeBron stated they will struggle without AD because there isn’t much length on the roster as it is, and his absence puts them in a rougher position. Fortunately for them, it doesn’t look like Davis will be out for a long time, but as long as he is, it is hard to see this team winning too many games.
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