The 2004 NBA Champion, Rasheed Wallace, believes Anthony Davis to be the pivotal piece for the Lakers this year. The Lakers power forward has missed 27 straight games since he suffered a right calf strain on February 14.
It looks like being only a matter of time before Anthony Davis steps on to the court again. The Lakers cleared AD for full-contact practice on Friday. With LeBron James still ruled out, Lakers head coach, Frank Vogel finally has some good news when it comes to the health of his players. He will need AD to rediscover his form and find his rhythm as we approach the playoffs.
While LeBron James may have bagged his fourth finals MVP last year, Wallace claimed that Anthony Davis will need to be healthy if the Lakers have to stand a chance again. He said “No disrespect to Bron and the other players out there, but AD seems to me to be that pivotal piece for the Lakers to repeat”.
Wallace further added, “It is going to be hard, it is not going to be a cake walk for them even when AD comes back, you got Phoenix, Denver, Utah and you got Portland too, so it is definitely going to be a race”.
Anthony Davis over LeBron James for the Lakers?
LeBron James (left) and Anthony Davis (right) after winning the 2020 NBA Championship
LeBron James is the go-to man for the Lakers, even with Anthony Davis on the court. The 37-year-old was in the MVP discussion till he got hurt last month.
But how important is Anthony Davis to this team? The stats speak for themselves. The big man has averaged 22.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals in 32.8 minutes this season before getting hurt. In the 27 consecutive games he has missed so far, the Lakers have been 13-14, falling from No. 2 to No. 5 in the Western Conference standings.
With the Nets stacking up their roster, looking for their maiden NBA title, James with a healthy Anthony Davis will have their work cut out. As team owner Jeanie Buss said “Bring it on”.
