The struggle continues for the Los Angeles Lakers as they are yet to find their rhythm in the 2021-22 NBA season, and Anthony Davis has voiced his frustration. After an emphatic 107-83 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Davis made sure to let his feelings known on the current situation.
Davis was upset with how the team is playing. When asked what happened in the third quarter, he said, “We sucked.” Further stating that it was a trend for the Lakers so far this season, and he was not sure why.
Anthony Davis: “We’re not gonna win a championship with the way we’re playing. We have to be better.”
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) November 13, 2021
“We’re not going to win a championship with the way we’re playing.”
The Lakers went into the intermission with a five-point lead but completely fell apart in the third quarter. The third ended with a 28-point differential in favor of the Wolves, who put together a run to score 40 points.
AD on the third: “We sucked.”
AD said that’s been a trend all season — struggling in the third quarter — and he’s not sure why.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) November 13, 2021
The Lakers have maintained a bit of their defensive identity, although they are ranked 15th in defensive rating so far this season. But the area they have struggled to get going is their offense.
Unfortunately, their very busy offseason has not produced the desired result. The Lakers are still struggling to score the basket, going 3-4 without LeBron James early this season.
AD’s frustration is justified seeing how he puts it all on the court every other day for the Lakers. In the 24-point loss to the Timberwolves, Davis finished the game with 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists, three steals, and three blocks, but did not get much help from his supporting cast.
The Lakers came into the 2021-22 season as championship contenders but have failed to find a winning formula so far. Age is finally catching up to LeBron as he has become injury-prone. The Lakers will need to figure out a way to win without him if it comes to that.
Russell Westbrook is averaging 19.4 points, 8.5 assists, and 8.7 rebounds but is still not performing at the level expected of him. His turnover rate has also been a source of concern early on, as he is averaging 5.3 turnovers per game. However, it is worth noting that Russ has been the best clutch performer since 2009 and can turn things around for this star-studded Lakers team.
