Anthony Davis was all praise for the Los Angeles Lakers unit for having punched well above their weight in the absence of LeBron James.
The Lakers are 3-3 without the 37-year-old, and while they’re yet to hit the .500 mark, his expected return against the San Antonio Spurs comes as welcome news.
Davis’s words come as reassurance for a side that went 0-5 and then 2-10. Their three consecutive wins had a lot to do with the big man dishing out scintillating performances. However, his dominant 37-point night, including 21 rebounds, 5 steals, and 5 blocks, couldn’t see the side through against the Phoenix Suns.
That said, he was still pleased with the team’s performance against Phoenix. Speaking to Spectrum Sports Net after the game, he said: (via Lakers Nation)
“I like it where we’ve been, you know, the last three games. I think we played well, tonight. We just didn’t make shots. I’m not certain when he’s coming back. Obviously, you know, dealing with groin, it’s how he feel. I know he’s working out and trying to get back each and every day.
So hopefully we get him back on this trip. But, you know, we won basketball games, you know, without them without him. We won basketball games with him. I mean, obviously, it’s always great to have him in a lineup so we can start really getting our chemistry down, especially with [Dennis Schroder] and [Thomas Bryant] coming back.
I think that’s the biggest thing just for that piece, but we want him to take his time. Still kind of early, you know, we don’t him to try to… if he’s feeling anything, go out there and now it’s something else and, knock on wood, out for a bit. It lingers onto something else. So take his time and we’ll try to hold it down as long as we can until he’s going to be able to get be back.”
Davis’ concerns are valid. They will need more of James as the regular season gets deeper, and having a relatively better slate in recent times gives the veteran to get as much recovery time as possible.
Anthony Davis Has Been Crucial For The Los Angeles Lakers In LeBron James’ Absence
Anthony Davis has carried the Lakers almost single-handedly in their last five games, and the proof is in the pudding. His last five games see him averaging 33.2 points, 17.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. Overall, he’s clocking 26.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists this season, including 56.0% from the field and 21.1% from downtown.
ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski believed that this version of Davis was what the Lakers needed in order to make the postseason.
“This is the all-world player that the Lakers traded for and traded so much of their future for and did with a championship with in the bubble. That performance: 30, 20, 5, 5, nobody’s ever put a line like that up. And certainly, without LeBron James, who has missed the last five games, he has put up all-NBA, MVP-like numbers. You get LeBron James back here soon, I think the hope for L.A. is they could be a more competitive team with Anthony Davis leading the way.”
Trades or not, the Lakers will need Davis healthy and to play as many games as he can in the regular season — a fact that he himself outlined ahead of the start of the new edition. His stellar run has been crucial for Los Angeles, and fans will hope the streak continues.
