Anthony Davis has been leading the Los Angeles Lakers pretty well since last month. The team was in deep trouble after LeBron James got injured against the Mavericks in late February. He had to miss the next whole month due to a tendon tear on his right foot. It could have been game over for the Lakers after James was gone. But Anthony Davis came to the rescue of the team. AD even returned to the lineup from a stress injury a few matches before James was unavailable. Hence, he has not been totally fit for the whole season. It was tough, but still, AD managed to carry the team through to the playoffs this season.
Albeit, he was not alone, as D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves played essential roles in supporting Anthony Davis. Later, LeBron James joined the party to steer the Lakers into the postseason. However, they did not make the playoffs directly. The Lakers fought through the play-in against the Timberwolves and won. Now they have a healthy lead over the Grizzlies in the round 1 playoff series. It might look good for the Lakers at present, but they had a terrible start to the current season.
Why Can’t Lakers Depend On Anthony Davis To Be A Future Leader?
The Lakers had a major issue with injuries. Since last December, the Lakers did not have Anthony Davis in their lineup because of a stress injury. He then missed twenty games on the trot. Throughout his career, the eight-time All-Star has been an injury-prone athlete. He is not someone like LeBron James, who can defy his age and still play at the highest level. The eight-time All-Star is 30 years old. Whereas LeBron James is 38, however, he looks fitter and stronger than AD.
It is not likely to expect Anthony Davis to play at the same level when he is 38, like LeBron James. In fact, the kind of injury-prone player AD is, it is possible that he might retire sooner than expected. Hence, the Lakers’ front office cannot depend on Anthony Davis to lead the team in the future. Anthony Davis has not even played more than 75 games a season in his career. But still, AD is an eight-time All-Star. After Game 5 against the Grizzlies, the eight-time All-Star mentioned, “I would like to play for 48 minutes in the next game.” AD generally does not play more than 42 minutes in a game.
AD Needs To Stay Fit To Help Lakers Win The Championship
Anthony Davis was part of the 2020 championship-winning Lakers side. But the fact is that it is still a team led by LeBron James. Even in the current playoffs series against the Grizzlies, King James has been more instrumental than AD in helping the LA side have a 3-2 lead. But the eight-time All-Star has been an undeniable strength in both the offense and defense of the Lakers this season.
To win the current championship, the Lakers will need AD to be fitter than ever. However, even in this series, the eight-time All-Star had some injury scares. That unreliable fitness is the worry for the Lakers’ front office to make the eight-time All-Star the leader for the future. After LeBron James leaves the Lakers, the Lakers will look for a more reliable and strong leader for the future who can play more than 75 games a season.
