Undoubtedly, the Lakers had a very tough start to the current season. It is safe to say that the Los Angeles franchise had a lot of trouble with its roster in the beginning. Their plans were not working as well as they would have liked. Back in the time, the General Manager of the Lakers, Rob Pelinka, suggested that they wanted to go ahead with the superstar trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. But the plan failed as Westbrook was not helping the team progress in any way. Finally, the front office made all the necessary changes to the roster to find the balance that was missing. After the Lakers were ready to progress with the newly balanced side, constant trouble for the team kept rushing back in.
Injuries resulted in missing out on several games. The most significant concern was the tendon injury of the Lakers star LeBron James. As per the latest information, he will stay out for another couple of weeks. Even before the team could get over the fact of the King’s injury, the new recruit D’Angelo Russell was also ruled out with a sprained ankle injury. Without Russell and the leader, James, it was unquestionably a challenging task for the Lakers to get close to the postseason spots.
All they needed was a winning streak to get back in the top ten. Last season too, saw the Lakers missing the postseason due to trouble with injuries in the roster. But this time, it looks like the responsibility has fallen again to Anthony Davis to carry the team in the absence of LeBron James. AD seems determined enough to get the Lakers over the line.
Anthony Davis Is Turning Things Around For The Squad
Anthony Davis, back in February, mentioned that the team needs a streak to change their position on the table. As it turns out, he was right. The Lakers have a two-match winning streak currently that has helped them jump from the 11th seed to the 9th in the Western Conference. The significant change that helped the Lakers has been the terrific form of Anthony Davis, who is scoring as high as he is winning the rebounds.
AD touched Shaquille O’Neal’s record from 2003-2004, as he became another player of the Lakers to have a season with multiple 30-points and 20 rebound matches. Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only two players in the season with numerous 30-20 games. In the last game against the Grizzlies, the hosts beat the visitors 112-103. He scored another 30 points and won 22 rebounds.
Theoretically, The Lakers Should Make The Playoffs
There is a rumor that D’Angelo Russell will be back in the game against the Raptors. After his return, the Lakers will get stronger. Theoretically, the Los Angeles side has an easy remaining fixture for the regular season. The Lakers are only a couple of games away from overtaking the Warriors on the table. If the Lakers capitalize on the streak and the easy games, they can climb up to the top 6. This way, what seemed impossible a few days ago could actually come true.
The LA side, without LeBron James, could actually qualify for the playoffs. All they need is to give a good fight against strong teams like the Knicks, the Mavericks, and the Suns. They need to capitalize on their chances. Especially against the teams like the Raptors, the Pelicans, the Thunder, the Rockets, and the Magic. Even if James stays unavailable. The presence of Anthony Davis should do the trick for the Lakers against the easy teams.