Should Anthony Davis Be Lakers' No. 1 Option?
From the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis, the team's 30-year-old star, has been considered the piece who should be the fulcrum of the team's offense, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times.
Head coach Darvin Ham and All-Star small forward LeBron James both have been pushing for Davis to take over, to the point where Ham has allowed Davis to essentially freelance defensively.
“My theory of defense at this level is not what you take away but it’s what you’re willing to live with,” Ham said, per Woike. “Having a roamer, you’re able to be more aggressive. Guys are able to help. They know they have that built-in help. They can be more aggressive on the ball and compete harder.”
Woike wrote this piece before Davis' disastrous Game 4 showing, in which he scored just four points through the bout's first three quarters, then chipped in eight points in the final quarter and overtime.
Davis clearly was playing hampered after landing awkwardly on his hip.
In total, Davis scored 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the floor and 4-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe. He did grab 11 rebounds, block four shots, and add two steals and two assists. He also scored a similarly inefficient 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field in Game 2.
The reality is, Davis almost always gets hurt the longer a season wears on. He has gritted his way through the ailments in these playoffs, but you know who has performed better, while dealing with some level of tendon tear? His 38-year-old teammate, LeBron James, who chipped in 22 points and 20 (20!) rebounds while powering LA to a critical Game 4 overtime win.
This is still James' world, and Davis is just living in it.
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