The Los Angeles Lakers have potentially one of the best lineups in the entire league. With a trio of LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Anthony Davis on the court, it should be pretty easy for the team to win games consistently. Well, that’s at least what fans thought before the season began.
The story has been completely different during the season. With almost one-third of the season already been played, the Lakers sit in the seventh spot in the Western Conference. They have a record of 13-13 and have been highly inconsistent throughout the season.
There have been many contributors to this slow start, with one of them being Anthony Davis’ underwhelming form. Davis is not playing very poorly by any means but he is certainly performing at a level below his standards.
Fans have gotten accustomed to seeing AD put up monster numbers while being one of the most elite defenders in the league. But so far Davis hasn’t shown that side of his game.
This can be clearly seen in his +/- per 100 possessions. Thanks to a Reddit post by user u/__john_cena__, it was brought to attention. When on the court he has a -3.2 net impact per 100 possessions. On the other hand, the Lakers are +5.0 when he is off the court.
It is quite astonishing to see Davis have such a negative impact on the team. However, if there is good news for the team, it is that the sample size is still not that big. Meaning as the season moves forward his stats should improve.
Furthermore, Davis usually spends most minutes on the court with players like Russell Westbrook and Malik Monk, who themselves do not have a great impact on the season so far. Coupling that with Davis’ struggles from injuries, it is quite understandable why the former NBA champion is struggling.
With better rotations and rest, AD should reach back to the level that fans are used to seeing. Because NBA fans have already seen what he is capable of doing when he is determined and healthy.
A prime example was the Lakers’ 2020 NBA Championship run, where Anthony Davis played a huge role alongside LeBron James when it mattered the most.
