Anthony Davis, the Lakers’ standout player this season, picked up an injury in their loss to the Pistons on Monday and was ruled out of their game against the Grizzlies on Wednesday night. It paved the way for another player to make up for his absence with a big performance. The Lakers would’ve hoped it’d be one of their guards or younger players, but the onus fell on LeBron James, who finished with 39 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. It wasn’t enough as the Lakers lost 131-114, their second straight defeat.
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As impressive as his performance was, ESPN insider Bobby Marks expressed concern about the Lakers’ reliance on the 39-year-old superstar. On SportsCenter, he called out the team’s rotational players for failing to capitalize on the opportunity to impress in Davis’ absence. He said,
“This is not sustainable, the pattern of LeBron taking on the heavy workload. Going into the season, my biggest question was how do you alleviate some of that workload for a player that’s going to be 40 years old? The numbers speak for themselves. This Lakers bench ranks in the bottom in minutes per game.”
The Lakers would’ve hoped to ease James’ workload to ensure he has plenty left in the tank during the playoffs. However, he is averaging 34.9 minutes per game, which ranks 28th in the league. To make matters worse, his efforts aren’t even being rewarded, as LA has slipped to 4-4 after starting the season 3-0.
As Marks mentioned, the Lakers bench has practically been nonexistent this year. The team ranks 29th in bench scoring with 20.4 points per game, only 0.2 higher than the Knicks, who sit at the bottom of that list. LA’s bench has a net rating of -3.6, which ranks 23rd in the league.
No player who comes off the bench is averaging double digits in points this season. The dismal support from the rotational stars has completely evaporated the early momentum the team had created.
The Lakers have simmered since their hot start
The Lakers got off to a 3-0 start this season on the back of Anthony Davis’ MVP-caliber performances. The nine-time All-Star is averaging 32.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game on 57.1% shooting from the field this season.
However, outside of him, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, no other player on the team is having a remotely noteworthy campaign, which is why they’ve lost four of their last five games.
Spears voiced his concerns about the Lakers’ lack of depth and suggested they are wasting more roster spots than any other team in the league. During an appearance on ESPN Today earlier this week, he said,
“When you look at the Warriors without Steph, there was a strength in numbers. I think the Lakers have a lack of strength. I’m worried for them if AD is out or if LeBron is out. I don’t think they can sustain this long. You’re talking about a team that you got three players, Christian Wood not playing, Vanderbilt not playing, Bronny James doesn’t play much.”
The Lakers have until February to assess their needs and make moves to improve the depth. If they roll with the same roster until the end of the season, it’ll likely be another disappointing campaign for LA.
