Here’s where we are with this Lakers season: We are isolating incredibly small sample sizes and trying to argue them as proof things are going to be O.K. Is this a particularly sound strategy? Probably not. And yet … Anthony Davis has been on an absolute scoring bender of late. AD is averaging 33.2 points per game in his last five contests, all of which have come without LeBron James. It’s the first time Davis has averaged at least 33 points in a five-game stretch since Dec. 1–8, 2019, his first season with Los Angeles. And it could be the sign the Lakers needed to make sure they try to salvage this season.
Overall, James has missed the last six games, during which Los Angeles is 3–3. Wins over the Spurs, Pistons and Nets in this period don’t exactly spark parade-route plans, but they’re a start. Going .500 without LeBron is a massive accomplishment for the Lakers, who were 8–18 without him last season. Heck, going .500 with LeBron would be a cause for celebration, as the Lakers are still 5–11 this season, looking at an uphill climb to a play-in spot.
Davis has forced us to raise an eyebrow at this team’s playoff prospects, however. Add James to this version of AD—the one that looks the closest to the version who led the Lakers in scoring his first year in Hollywood—and Los Angeles may be onto something.
