The Los Angeles Lakers have lost their first game after the newly constructed roster took to the floor. Anthony Davis and LeBron James looked rejuvenated until Bron “blew a tire.” His ankle pop did not cost them a loss against the Dallas Mavericks, but his absence was felt against the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Anthony Davis and co. went down meekly against a raucous Memphis team led by Ja Morant. Davis personally had a good game, but veteran analyst Skip Bayless thinks otherwise. He put the blame entirely on AD, stating that an “elite” rim protector like him should not have let the Grizzlies score 86 points in the paint.
If he did watch the game, he should have realized that AD was not the problem. With two big men constantly breaking down the defense, he was essentially left stranded, yet he had six blocks and ten rebounds. Going 2 vs. 1 against two marauding big men in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman was always going to be hard.
AD wound up with good numbers – 28 & 19. But he wasn’t much of a rim-protecting force – Memphis scored 86 in the paint. And the Lakers failed to cash so many chances – season-high 26 turnovers. Just too sloppy. AD is not That Guy without LeBron. Or at least DLo. Or even Russ.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) March 1, 2023
Anthony Davis had a great night – it did not translate to a win because of one thing
Anthony Davis had 28 points and 19 rebounds to finish the game. The Lakers even led the game at halftime, with the Grizzlies struggling to beat a LeBron-less team. But a huge 28-point third quarter by Ja Morant saw the tide swing. And it stayed that way until the final whistle.
According to Skip Bayless, he was ineffective in stopping the Grizzlies from getting to the paint. On paper, it does look that way, but a closer look at the game will tell you otherwise.
Davis had to play 2 vs. 1 all game, and Darwin Ham should have realized that quicker. He should have put Mo Bamba in earlier to support him, but he got only 1 measly minute of action. Vanderbilt was also unable to effectively assist AD by guarding Ja throughout the game.
Rotations cost them the game, and Ham should have realized that sooner. He hadn’t made a bad decision in a few games, but tonight was an off night.
The Lakers can no longer be a 50-win team, will they still qualify for the playoffs?
After tonight’s loss, the Lakers have officially lost 33 games, meaning they cannot be a 50-win team. But that doesn’t change the standings too much, because all teams in front of them lost their games too. A lucky break for the purple and gold.
With the break, they can still make it to the 6th seed if they win all their other games. Since that is not possible, they can climb as high as 8th, qualifying for the play-in tournament. Should LeBron come back in time for the final run, the Lakers have a great shot at the post-season.
