Getty LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers slipped to their fourth straight defeat on Christmas Day, as Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks earned a 124-115 victory thanks to a second-half comeback.
When speaking to the media following the game, LeBron James credited Dallas’ mid-game adjustments for their ability to pull away and win the game, noting how the Lakers coaching staff failed to implement any changes to their game plan.
“We didn’t make the proper adjustments once they made their adjustments.” @KingJames on today’s loss and playing on Christmas.
“I mean, they made adjustments at half-time. They countered what we were doing at half-time. We didn’t make the proper adjustments once they made their adjustments…You’re never going to win a game if you give up 51 in a quarter, so that’s it, it’s simple,” LeBron said.
Los Angeles currently sits 13th in the Western Conference and currently looks miles away from being a playoff team, despite LeBron continuing to play at an elite level despite his advancing years. In fact, at age 37, LeBron is providing his team with 27.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 49.6% from the field, 30.6% from deep, and 74% from the free-throw line.
LeBron James Concerned About Replacing Anthony Davis
On December 16, Anthony Davis sustained a foot injury whilst playing against the Denver Nuggets, leaving the Lakers worryingly thin in the frontcourt. As such, Los Angeles has been considerably undersized and outmatched in recent games, leading James to note how much the superstar forward’s absence is hurting his team’s chances of success.
Anthony Davis’ evolution as a passer/playmaker has been so fun to watch
Look at him manipulate the defense on the short roll
Stares down Pat Bev, forcing KCP to sink down
Then adjusts mid-air to find Lonnie for the cleanest look he’ll ever get
Special stuff
“Reality is, without AD, we lose a lot of length which we don’t have already…So we have to make up in ways that, without AD, is very difficult, very challenging. So, I think at one point we had a lineup of I think [Austin Reaves] was the tallest guy on the court…So, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure it out [that Davis is sorely missed],” LeBron said.
Davis has been a dominant force for the Lakers this season, playing at an MVP level and averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.1 blocks, and 1.3 steals while shooting 61.8% from two-point range.
Anthony Davis ‘Will Be Out Indefinitely’
On December 23, the Lakers released an update regarding Davis’ current injury, revealing that the superstar forward has sustained a stress fracture in his right foot and will be out of the rotation for the foreseeable future.
“After extensive consultation with Lakers team physicians and outside specialists, it has been determined that Anthony Davis has a stress injury in his right foot. Davis will be out indefinitely. Further updates will be provided when appropriate,” The Lakers revealed.
Anthony Davis playing some of the best basketball of his career for a month only to be out indefinitely due to a stress fracture is the most Anthony Davis thing ever.
This doesn’t make it any better, it of course sucks for the game & the Lakers. Just sadly not surprising
As such, Los Angeles will now be forced to continue without their dominant big, and thus, lean on some of their rotation players in the hopes of them rising to the occasion and helping the Lakers navigate the storm they currently find themselves in.
Of course, Rob Pelinka could decide to dip his toes into the trade market, but with few star frontcourt players projecting to be available, it remains to be seen if that would produce a difference-making effect or not.
Still, with LeBron and Russell Westbrook, the Lakers should have enough talent to help steady the ship, or at least, that’s what you would hope.