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NBA Twitter Gives Up on the Lakers After Anthony Davis’ Shocking Admission Is a Brutal Reality Check for LeBron James

Published 06/13/2022, 12:52 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

While we are only a few games away from crowning the new NBA champions, there are some teams who are looking ahead. After a horror season, the Los Angeles Lakers have made their moves to come back with a vengeance. After the Russell Westbrook trade didn’t go their way, some of their problems surely came to the front.

A huge bonus for the purple and gold remains to be that LeBron James is in impeccable condition. However, over all their problems, Anthony Davis might be the biggest one. Recently, the former NBA champion left Twitter in shambles after revealing he hasn’t shot a basketball in over two months.

The Lakers had their eyes set on a run of dreams. But having the big guns did not turn out to be the right formula for them. They lacked on both ends of the floor and ended up as the 11th seed in the Western Conference.

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Despite the King having had one of his best seasons ever, injuries plagued the camp. And James’ two-punch Anthony Davis was on the sidelines for most of the season. Likewise, without one of the best big men in the league, the Lakers couldn’t do a lot.

However, while AD has had his time to recover, he is yet to touch a basketball. The All-Star revealed that he hasn’t done any kind of shooting with the basketball since April.

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Is Anthony Davis the biggest problem for the Lakers?

2020 was arguable the peak year for the Los Angeles Lakers. Pulling off a blockbuster trade to acquire Anthony Davis, his duo with LeBron was one of the best since day one. They dominated the 2020 postseason in a way no one saw coming. Despite sharing just one championship together so far, they blew the statistics off the roof.

In their championship run, the duo ranked third when combining all major stars for championship-winning duos. Notably, they fall behind fellow Lakers Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, things have changed for the worse since then.

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2020 Anthony Davis was one of the best players in the league. Still, as explosive as his days with the New Orleans Pelicans, the 29-year-old superstar was the next big thing for the Lakers franchise. However, over the last two seasons, injuries have bombarded his time on the hardwood.

Notably, Davis has played just 76 games over the last two seasons, with each season being the worst tally of his career. And now, a huge scare hit the Lakers camp. Davis is yet to be involved in any kind of basketball since April. And hearing that was enough for Twitter to rule out the purple and gold for next season as well.

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When healthy, there is no doubt AD is one of the most skilled players in the league. Dominating on both ends of the court, he forms a huge part of the Lakers’ defense. As the main rim protector, Davis’ absence puts the Lakers in a huge predicament.

In addition, LeBron James can’t feed off him at times he himself can’t get things going. With Brodie still to show his true side to the Lake show, they will need a lot more from Anthony Davis this season.

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With just a year left with LeBron and Westbrook, the Lakers know they don’t have time on their hands. However, the key to making it all work is Anthony Davis. With a proper off-season to recover, Davis needs to come back in good health for the Lakers to have any shot at redemption.

Do you guys think AD is the most important player for the purple and gold next season? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani