Anthony Davis and LeBron James were expected to return stronger this season following a disappointing 2020/21 NBA campaign for the Los Angeles Lakers. After a magical run in the Orlando bubble, the Lakers captured their 17th NBA championship, but they’ve been unable to replicate that success in the following terms.
This year, AD has dealt with several injuries, which hurt the team’s chances to compete in the Western Conference. Besides that, his level when healthy wasn’t the best, as LeBron had to carry the Lakers even when Davis and Russell Westbrook were on the court.
After the King exploded with a 56-point game against the Golden State Warriors last week, he became the talk of the town around the league. James received a lot of praise for his performance, even from those who criticize him more often than not.
Chris Broussard reacted to that incredible performance on a recent edition of FS1’s First Thing First, saying that with LeBron playing at this level, the Lakers could have a chance to win the championship if Anthony Davis wasn’t so inconsistent.
“It was stunning to see the number 56, but not shocking. Watching him all year you knew LeBron was capable of this type of performance. LeBron proved if AD was holding up his end of the bargain, the Lakers would have a very good shot at winning a championship.”
"It was stunning to see the number 56, but not shocking. Watching him all year you knew LeBron was capable of this type of performance. LeBron proved if AD was holding up his end of the bargain, the Lakers would have a very good shot at winning a championship." — @Chris_Broussard pic.twitter.com/DgcxlkZKri
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) March 7, 2022
What Broussard said is what many people around the league think. AD should have been better whenever he stepped on the court. He’s indeed been dealing with injuries, but when he had the chance to make an impact, he failed. Davis did have a couple of good games, but overall, this season has been terrible for him.
He’ll be sidelined for several weeks again, leaving the Lakers in a bad position in the final part of the season. The Brow is a crucial piece for the Lakers, and if he can’t deliver when the team needs him the most, that will be a major problem. He’s been linked with a move away from LA, and if this situation doesn’t get better, we might see him leaving the franchise after only three seasons.
