The Lakers had moved the future of the franchise to acquire Anthony Davis in 2019 – but it hasn’t been smooth sailing always.
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Anthony Davis is heading into his 4th season as a Los Angeles Laker. Despite winning a ring with AD, however, there have been questions surrounding whether the Lakers made the right move in 2019.
The Lakers gave up Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and 3 first-round picks to the Pelicans for Davis. All pieces that formed a part of the trade have gone on to have respectable careers, with Ingram even reaching an All-Star level.
With the Lakers missing the Playoffs in 2021-22, a question naturally arose – would the franchise have fared better with a team of Ball, Ingram, and Hart alongside LeBron and Westbrook?
Davis was traded with the immediate expectation of being LeBron’s side act. However, with LeBron not growing any younger, the eventual expectation was that Davis takes over from The King.
Safe to say that hasn’t happened to date.
Have the Lakers brass taken note of AD’s status (or lack of) as a franchise player?
With fans and media discussing it in the open, the AD dilemma was bound to create talk in the Lakers’ front office too. According to media reports, they mulled over the sentiment. The observation? That AD did not look quite like the franchise player they expected him to be.
The clock might just be running down on the Lakers’ championship window with LeBron. AD’s failure to establish himself has further pulled their ceiling down. The Laker brass may have some tough moves to make surrounding AD going ahead.
For a revival of the “franchise star” idea, AD needs a redemption season in 2022-23. A solid showing shall elevate him back to All-NBA and MVP conversations and re-establish hope in Davis as a franchise star. However, another playoff miss or early disappointment could hinder AD majorly.
How has AD’s value seen a downhill turn at LA?
With Anthony Davis, the ever-relevant question pertains to his availability. AD’s injury history has seen him miss around 50% of total games during his time in LA. While he was at 100%, AD showed the world what he can do and delivered a stellar run of performances during the NBA bubble.
However, AD has failed to sustain fitness or form, since. A dip in shooting efficiency has also been a cause for concern more recently. The lack of floor spacing with AD, LeBron, and Westbrook hit the Lakers considerably in 2021-22.
With a new season, there are new expectations. AD appeared to be fitter, however, precautionary benching in preseason has created further doubt regarding his fitness. Will we see a redemption arc featuring bubble AD or will it be a repeat of 2021-22’s disappointment?
Also read: “I Want To Be Able To Play All 82-Games”: Anthony Davis Plea to Lakers Nation
