Getty Images Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Anthony Davis did not hold back after the Los Angeles Lakers were blown out by the Utah Jazz 139-116, dropping to 2-8 this season.
The loss was the Lakers’ third consecutive by double digits, albeit they were playing without three starters, including LeBron James. Davis has hope that his squad can still turn it around but he doesn’t feel good about where they’re at currently.
“Honestly, it sucks. We don’t want to be 2-8 at all. It sucks, for sure. You have to look at it big picture. It’s been 10 games but still fairly early in the season — s**t, 2-8 is a hard pill for me to swallow,” Davis told reporters after the game. “Obviously, it can change around. I think New Orleans was 1-12 or something last year, come back and go on a run. We’ve got to put it together. Offense has found its rhythm. It seems like we’ve lost all our defensive intensity. And that’s what’s killing us.”
The primary concern for Davis and the Lakers is the defense, which has been allowing heaps of points, giving up an average of 127 over their last three. The Jazz racked up 76 points in the first half of Monday’s loss.
“We have to put it together. The offense has found its rhythm but we’ve lost all our defensive intensity and that’s what is killing us,” Davis said. “It sucks to be 2-8. We had enough to win this game. We got enough to win every game. We just have to come out and put it together for a full 48.”
Davis Petitions With Coaches For Larger Role
Davis put up a season-high 29 points against the Jazz, adding four rebounds. While his overall numbers look solid for the season, the problem for the All-Star big man lately has been coming out of the half with some juice, scoring just two points in the second half of the last two games.
Prior to the matchup with the Jazz, head coach Darvin Ham said that he spoke with Davis about getting the ball in his hands more.
“If a guy says he wants more touches and he’s of the caliber of Anthony Davis, then yeah, my ears are going to perk up and I’m going to see how I can get him the ball more,” Ham said.
Davis acknowledged the conversation and said it led to a more aggressive mentality in the second half.
“It happened over the past couple of days. Just trying to be assertive. Demand the basketball and making plays out of it,” Davis said. “Try not to get lost in the game where I’m not touching the basketball. I made an effort tonight to go get the basketball in the second half.”
On the defensive end, Davis took the blame, recounting a few instances when Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen blew by him.
“It’s tough to win basketball games when we don’t defend. … We just have to be better defensively. We have to get back to defending how we were early in the season,” Davis said. “Getting back to that defensive intensity — we all have to be better and it starts with me.”
Ham Promises Lakers Will ‘Turn The Corner’
It’s safe to say that Ham’s start with the Lakers hasn’t gone as planned. At 2-8, the Lakers are sitting sandwiched between the Rockets (2-9) and Kings (3-6) in the basement of the Western Conference.
“I would say this, man. And write it, quote it, however,” Ham said. “This may be happening now at the outset of what we’re trying to force to be a culture change in terms of getting us back to being highly competitive on a highly consistent basis, but it’s not going to always be like this.
“We’re going to turn the corner. I didn’t come here to lose. They didn’t bring me here to lose.”
The Lakers have a day to regroup before facing the Clippers on Wednesday.