2 Reasons The Lakers Need To Trade Him

The Los Angeles Lakers It’s been a tough season. Like any team with LeBron James, they were considered championship contenders before the season even started. Unfortunately for Lakers fans, it didn’t turn out as planned. The lineup is only 16-14 and given how competitive the Western Conference is, they’ll even need to try for the top six. If they place seventh or eighth, they will have to go through the knockout round. Part of the reason the Lakers fell is Anthony Davis. While not a popular opinion, a possible Davis deal could be the kick the Lakers need. Here are two reasons the Lakers need to trade off Anthony Davis.

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Injury and reliability

The first reason is pretty obvious. While AD not picking on trauma is completely understandable, it’s still a big deal. This year, Unibrow has only missed three games, but he will miss the next four weeks because of an MCL sprain, according to Shams Charania. This is a crucial period of the season and the Lakers really need Davis on the field to help them. They currently occupy sixth place in the West, but the Nuggets, the Mavericks and even the Timberwolves are far behind.

Over the next four weeks in Davis’ absence, the Lakers have important games against the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Suns, Nets and Nuggets, to name a few. While there were some easy games, here and there, most of these teams are either direct competitors for the knockout stages or championship contenders that the Lakers need to get through to get there. title, that is the goal of the whole team.

If Anthony Davis hadn’t been there, much of the blame would have fallen on James, who is playing 37.1 minutes per game, at the age of 37. He is certain to head into the knockout stages with severe fatigue. , and there it became even more evident how untrustworthy Davis was. above. If he’s having problems now that the workload increases as the playoffs heat up, how can the Lakers count on Davis? This is a serious question that coach Frank Vogel and the rest of the organization need to answer.

Again, it’s not entirely Davis’ fault that he continues to be injured. Maybe some blame him and his condition, but most of that is simply bad luck. That doesn’t sit well with the Lakers at all, though, as they need to have a second star they can rely on to stay there. He’s consistently missed time, and if that’s the case in a crucial knockout game, it will be the end of the Lakers’ championship hopes.

A huge drop in efficiency and gameplay

Anthony Davis from the Pelicans and his first season with the Lakers was nothing like the Anthony Davis we see now. When he arrived in LA in 2019, he was a complete player who only added a three-pointer shot to his arsenal. In his second-to-last season in New Orleans, Davis averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 tackles, 53.4 percent long-range shots, and finished third in the MVP vote. Contrasting with this season makes us think that something happened during that time that really affected Davis.

Of course, one could make the argument that it’s another team he’s on, with James there, and other capable players, and he doesn’t need to bring that much. However, in his first season at the Lakers, Davis was pretty close to his Pelicans count. He has 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 50.3% long shot. That really isn’t too far off from the best season of his career, which was the 2017-18 season in New Orleans. He gradually lost touch and that was visible when he actually played for the Lakers.

Trauma most likely plays an important role, but it probably goes beyond that. Unibrow sometimes looks completely uninterested and like he’s not fully focused on the game. It wasn’t what the Lakers expected and while he won a title in 2020, Lakers fans and organizations expect Davis to slowly take power from James, as he slowly falls into disrepute. shot. For now, it seems that James is still carrying this team, despite his age and now, injuries are more frequent.

Anthony Davis brought so much to the Lakers and he was a major part of the reason they won the title. Before it’s too late, however, the Lakers need to realize that Davis won’t be the brand’s leader as James slowly fades into the twilight. He’s an excellent player, but when he’s healthy, and obviously not as great as he was a few years ago. Trading him now will bring at least some value to the Lakers, and they need to at least consider that.