Anthony Davis, the LA Lakers star center forward, is missing a backup partner after LeBron James’ unfortunate injury.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost yet another crucial game against the Rockets earlier today. The team missed its key pieces as Anthony Davis and LeBron James skipped the game due to injury issues. So, point guard D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves took the lead but failed to capitalize on it in the final minutes. The game ended with a scoreline of 114-110, wherein the Lakers fell short of five points.
Unfortunately, Anthony Davis missed out on today’s game as he is not allowed to play back-to-back games as per his foot recovery plan. Davis’ presence on the court is extremely important for the Lakers as their lead point scorer, LeBron James, is warming the bench due to a right foot tendon injury. With so close to the playoffs, the team cannot afford to lose any more games. But, there is one option lying in the free agent market for the Lakers to consider as a short-term replacement.
A Former NBA Champion Could End The Lakers Injury Woes
With LeBron James sidelined for weeks due to an injury, the Los Angeles Lakers are in need of some additional support for Anthony Davis. One option they may consider is calling up former NBA champion Serge Ibaka to provide backup in the front end of the court. Ibaka has a long and successful history in the NBA, having won a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. He remains popular for his strong defensive skills. The forward played for Milwaukee Bucks this season before getting traded off to the Pacers, who eventually ended up waiving his contract.
Hence Serge Ibaka is a free agent without a contract. While his numbers are quite low this season, considering his average game time of 11.6 minutes, Ibaka still possesses the skills that could help the Lakers in the near future. If the Lakers were to call up Ibaka, they could use him to back up Davis at the front positions. This would give the team some added depth and flexibility in the front court, allowing them to rest Davis more frequently to avoid any potential injury concerns. While the chances of this trade coming through are far less, the purple and gold could at least give in a serious look.
Darvin Ham Accuses Team Of Showing Lack Of Intensity
Meanwhile, after the LA Lakers’ loss to Houston Rockets, head coach Darvin Ham slammed the player for an alleged drop in intensity. Ham said the player showed absolute “non-existent” energy right from the first quarter, wherein they trailed by 12 points. Ham further elaborated, saying he expects the team to show the same kind of intensity that the Rockets showed, as they are a much more desperate team when it comes to playoff qualification.
The bottom line is the Lakers are struggling massively at the Western Conference points table. They currently stand at the 10th spot and need to move two levels up to at least qualify for the play-ins. Further, with frequent injury concerns, the dream of qualifying for the playoffs looks extremely far-fetched.
