A day after declaring that the locker room believed strongly in the possibility of ending the regular season with five straight wins, Anthony Davids changed his tune after the Los Angeles Lakers’ sixth straight loss. The tone had to be less victorious and the optimism of the day before gave way to a form of resignation.
Now Anthony Davis blames injuries…
The Californians, 11th in the Western Conference, are on the brink of elimination and the group appears to have accepted this idea. Their players wander from one night to the next with no soul, no view and no energy. So for AD, make way for excuses, even if he denies it of course. But he wanted to highlight the quirks that have characterized this galley season for the legendary franchise.
“The real frustration is we don’t know what we could have become,” notes the All-Star interior. “If I wasn’t hurt, like LeBron [James] would not have been injured… we have never been able to develop our full potential. †
Even if it says true in a way, this speech must not come close to the supporters of the Lakers. Because it’s way too simplistic and that element of storytelling ignores several facts.
The Angelenos were indeed not spared the physical problems. Anthony Davis himself missed 39 games. More than twenty for LeBron James† But that was already – forgive us – predictable. The first is constantly injured every season and the second plays his 19e years in pro at 37 years old. It is inevitable that at some point the body will stop responding so well. Leaders could and should have anticipated.
Furthermore, the Lakers were sometimes full. And it wasn’t much brighter. With their two superstars on the floor alone, they still show a negative difference: James and Davis played together for 576 minutes for 106.5 points scored on 100 possession and 109.1 against (-2.6). We even go to -3.5 by adding Russell Westbrook†
Then the injury excuse… it could be promoted by any franchise. What about neighbors and rivals the Los Angeles Clippers? Kawhi Leonard didn’t play all season. Paul George Missed 50 games. Marcus Morris27. Norman Powell22. Nicholas Batum, 22 too. Despite this, players Tyronn Lue are in eighth place in the Western Conference with 8 more wins.
With Westbrook and Davis, the Lakers had enough to win a few games in James’ absence. Same with Russ and LBJ when Davis went missing. It is also a matter of tactics, desire, team building, mentality. So many elements that were missing in LA this season.
