Anthony Davis is not the problem for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he deserves some blame.
As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to struggle, most recently in the way of a 13-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, it’s easy to pile on the newcomer. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that we saw the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy on the grandest of stages.
However, I don’t think it’s fair to criticize the Lakers without giving AD his fair share of the blame pie. But it’s difficult to come to that conclusion simply by looking at the stat sheet. Night in and night out, AD is putting up impressive numbers – in fact, he’s putting up better numbers than last season.
Davis is averaging 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks per game on 52 percent shooting from the field. He’s also on pace to finish with a better PER (25.29) than last season. If there’s one area where he’s “struggled” so far this season, it’s his 3-point shooting efficiency. He’s 19 percent on the season. However, he’s only taking about two per game.
That said, it’s pretty difficult to look at his numbers objectively and suggest that AD is not doing his part. He is. Though, I’d make an argument that this is the season where he should be doing much more, in addition to “his part.”
In part, the reason why LeBron somewhat handpicked AD to join him in Los Angeles, after such a disappointing first season in which he missed the playoffs for the first time since his rookie and sophomore season, is because of this very moment. The moment when we would begin to see Father Time evident in LeBron’s career.
It’s not that LeBron still isn’t one of the best players in the game; it’s that he’s no longer the overwhelming presence that he once was and he’s going to need more time to recover from nagging injuries.
LeBron has only played in 14 games this season. In the games he’s missed, the Lakers are 5-7. That’s kind of the reason why the Lakers find themselves sitting at 13-13, seventh in the Western Conference standings.
AD hasn’t stepped up in LeBron’s absence and he hasn’t had the impact that he should be having on the rest of the team as a No. 1 – or, at the very least, a No. 1B.
This is the very moment that AD should be stepping up in a role that he was perfectly carved out to carry. There aren’t many players in the NBA that are as talented as AD is, yet he continues to carry that burden as, potentially, the best player on the team at the moment.
Instead, LeBron is still needed to be superb every night. And even then, there’s no guarantee that it’s enough for the Lakers to pull out a win.
So while it’s easy to divvy up blame across the roster, I don’t think it’s fair to omit AD from the blame train. Even though, at least on the surface, it seems like he is doing his part (and then some), that simply hasn’t been the case this season. And the team’s win-loss record is the perfect example of why.