The Los Angeles Lakers endured a tough loss against the New York Knicks. With a .500 record on the line, they were about to witness something that they hadn’t seen in more than a year. And then Anthony Davis’ off night happened.
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This isn’t his first off night; it’s his second. In the win against the Raptors too, he was modest at best, but the other players covered for him. This game, however, was different. Jarred Vanderbilt and Troy Brown Jr. had off nights scoring-wise. And AD himself had an atrocious night from the FT line.
An 81% FT shooter this season, Davis only managed to score 1 out of his 5 attempts. And how many did the Lakers lose by? Exactly how many free throws he missed The last game showed that the Lakers could be perfect from the charity stripe, yet this loss is due to missed FTs.
In a game where two ex-Lakers Julius Randle and Josh Hart were back at their once home, the onus was on Davis to show them who was the boss. But they showed him up.
Skip Bayless puts this loss all on the eight-time All-Star. He called this loss a terrible one and added that Anthony Davis failed.
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Terrible home loss for the Lakers. AD failed to foul early in the final Knicks possession. AD failed to get to the line much (only 5 free throws) and made only ONE FREE THROW. AD failed to take this game over the way he should have – former Laker Josh Hart ended it w 2 FTs. Ug.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 13, 2023
The Los Angeles Lakers have a new supporter in town – It’s none other than Skip Bayless
Over the weekend that ended in a flurry of trades for the Lakers, Skip Bayless all of a sudden looked a happy man. One, Russell Westbrook, was out of LA and signed with the Clippers. Their fortunes haven’t been great, and he has a continuous narrative. Two, the Lakers got better, and now LeBron James has no more excuses left.
That was until he twisted his ankle and went down, potentially for the season. But overall, the Lakers have been pushing the envelope to reach the postseason for the first time in two years. A team as decorated as the Lakers languishing in the quagmire of despair seems rather unpleasant.
But even the biggest haters can turn into the best of fans if the tide does swing in your favor. Skip may appear to be feeding positivity to the Lakers, but we all know why. If the purple and gold do not end up in the playoffs, Lebron James and Anthony Davis will be put on full blast, all by one man.
His tweet tonight proves the cynical egoist is bubbling under the surface.
Will Anthony Davis lead the Lakers to a playoff spot?
The loss against the Knicks comes as a sudden halt in their onslaught on the 8th seed. Teetering at the edge of bare minimum success, AD was the man to lead the Lakers to the final coveted spot. And to an extent, he’s been amazing, with the run until tonight usually credited to him.
But in situations like this, every game is an NBA final. One wrong move and whatever hard work you’ve put in until now go up in flames. The Lakers hang on to the 10th spot as of now, but they have the Pelicans, the Thunder, and the Jazz all vying for that last spot. With the Lakers’ schedule being the bumpiest, things look grim.
LeBron James has been missed in situations like this, but putting the burden on a nearly 40-year-old man is scary. He should be the crown jewel, not the entire shoulder that carries the crown. The King needs his rest and needs his rook to protect his castle. Anthony Davis, the ball is literally in your court.
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