Anthony Davis had played a key role in taking the LA Lakers to glory in the previous season along with his teammate LeBron James. However, Davis has been on the sidelines since February in the ongoing season due to his calf injury. The LA Lakers are making sure that they do not hurry Davis back from the injury as Brooklyn Nets did for Kevin Durant.
The Lakers have been on the backfoot as LeBron James also suffered an ankle injury while playing against Atlanta Hawks in the previous month. Thus, it has been tough going for the Lakers without the services of their two talisman players. However, the Lakers still have done a decent job without their main players despite the injury woes.
Meanwhile, former NBA Champion Rasheed Wallace believes Anthony Davis is a pivotal piece for the LA Lakers and he is even more important than LeBron James. As James is already 36 years old, the onus is one Anthony Davis to take the Lakers’ legacy forward. However, he can only do that once he recovers from his injury.
Rasheed Wallace feels it is going to be tough for the Lakers even when their main players will be fit as the other top teams like Portland Trailblazers, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets have a great run in the season.
Rasheed said while speaking to ESPN, “I think he’s the pivotal piece for the Lakers. No disrespect to Bron and the other guys out there, but AD seems to me as that pivotal piece for the Lakers to repeat. Of course, he has to stay healthy. It’s going to be hard. I’m not saying it’s a cakewalk for them even when AD comes back. Because as you said, you’ve got Phoenix, you’ve got Denver, you’ve got Utah, and you’ve got Portland. It’s definitely going to be a race.”
It is not going to be easy for James and Davis to hit the ground running once they fully recover from their respective injuries. The Lakers currently have a 35-22 record and they stunned Utah Jazz by 127-115 OT on Sunday. The Lakers will once again face Utah Jazz on Monday night.
