The Lakers are combating for a playoff spot within the 2024-25 NBA season, with Anthony Davis having a dream of a season, averaging 25.9 factors, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.3 steals per sport whereas taking pictures 52.4 p.c.
Nevertheless, the Lakers have some severe points to regulate to going ahead, one in every of them being the protection, an space the place the staff hasn’t been at its finest. They’re ranked twenty eighth in factors allowed within the paint and twenty fifth in giving up second-chance factors within the league. This has led Davis to push more durable for extra assist in the frontcourt.
In a dialog with Shams Charania for ESPN, Davis made it clear he believes the Lakers want a correct middle.
“I believe we’d like one other huge,” Davis mentioned. “I’ve at all times been at my finest after I’ve been the 4. We all know it labored once we received a championship with JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard] on the 5, and I am on the 4. Our 2020 staff was the right building: shooters, defensive canine, scorers, dimension, and everybody realizing their function.”
Not too long ago, Shams Charania talked about how severe this case is throughout an NBA Countdown phase.
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“This is not about LeBron James,” Charania defined. “Anthony Davis is in his prime and needs to win one other championship. He informed me his motivation with LeBron is to convey one other title to LA. They by no means acquired that 2020 parade, and this stems from his need to win.”
Davis has been requesting a middle since 2023, however to date, the Lakers have not taken any motion to handle the problem. Proper now, their fundamental possibility is Jaxson Hayes, who has improved however is not a powerful rim protector like Brook Lopez or Jarrett Allen. With out a dependable middle to deal with these duties, Davis finally ends up having to do an excessive amount of on protection, which leaves the staff open to scoring threats within the paint.
The Lakers do have some helpful commerce choices, like their 2029 and 2031 first-round picks, which might assist them herald somebody who could make a distinction. Doable targets embody Nikola Vucevic, Myles Turner, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jakob Poeltl. But when the Lakers do not make a transfer, they danger upsetting Davis, who sees this as an important step to successful one other title.
Charania has warned that ignoring Davis’ issues might harm the staff’s possibilities of competing for a championship and hurt their relationship with him. The Lakers are at present 25-18 and are the fifth seed within the Western Convention. They’re in a great spot to make it to the playoffs however have to make adjustments earlier than the February 6 deadline to take full benefit of Davis’ prime and chase one other championship.