Anthony Davis was a force.
With LeBron James on the bench in street clothes and a walking boot, Davis scored a game-high 39 points in the Lakers’ 113-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
Davis collected eight rebounds. He distributed six assists. He blocked two shots and altered a number of others.
He’s a reason to believe in these Lakers.
Here’s the disclaimer: He’s also a reason not to believe.
The Lakers might have upgraded their roster last month, Davis might be carrying them in James’ absence and the Western Conference might be wide open, but the team’s fundamental problem remains the same.
The two players the Lakers are depending on the most are the players whom they can depend on the least to be on the court.
This is nothing new, the dynamic unchanged over the four seasons in which James and Davis have played together on the Lakers.
You know how this ends. You’ve seen how this ends.
The only time James and Davis were both healthy at the end of the season was when the Lakers won their bubble championship, and who knows if that would have been the case had the pandemic not forced the NBA to take a two-month break before the playoffs.
The Lakers have won five of their last seven games and are tied with the Utah Jazz for the final spot in the play-in tournament, but their improved form feels more like a big tease than a preview of what’s to come.
For argument’s sake, say James returns after he is reevaluated in three weeks. Say he plays as well as he did before he injured a tendon in his right foot. Say they reach the play-in tournament. Say they advance to the playoffs, where they would likely have a winnable first-round series against the Denver Nuggets or Memphis Grizzlies.
Even then, what are the chances of James and Davis remaining healthy enough for them to win four consecutive playoff series?
Not good, according to their histories.
Remember the 2020-21 season?
The injury-ravaged Lakers limped into the playoffs, won a play-in game against the Warriors and took a 2-1 lead against the second-seeded Phoenix Suns in the first round. Davis strained his groin in Game 4 of that series and the Lakers’ season was over.
With the Lakers entering the back stretch of the regular season, coach Darvin Ham said it would be important for him to “lean back on your principles.”
Why?
“Circumstances change in an NBA season, in terms of health, who you have on your roster,” he said.
The Lakers know they are in a precarious position.
That’s why the front office resisted going all-in on this team and didn’t trade its tradeable first-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
That’s why Ham didn’t play Davis in a game last week in Oklahoma City.
Of course, the Lakers don’t have the luxury of resting Davis regularly, which raises the possibility of him overexerting himself the way James did when he was chasing the league’s all-time career scoring record.
“Obviously with Bron out,” Davis said, “the team’s gonna rely on me more to make plays for myself, for others.”
The game before his 39-point outburst against the Warriors, Davis scored 38 in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“It’s just a matter of managing your non-game days, being efficient with what you do,” Ham said. “Yesterday was one of those types of days. The film [session] was basically our practice.”
In other words, the Lakers will continue looking to Davis to make up for James’ production and pray he doesn’t break down.
The Lakers are the ultimate what-if team in a conference full of what-ifs.
There isn’t a team such as the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics in the West, which is why there is a greater feeling than usual that a fringe contender can catch lightning in a bottle and reach the NBA Finals.
What if Kevin Durant can mesh with the Phoenix Suns? What if Curry’s return sets the Warriors back on track? What if Kyrie Irving turns out to be the ideal co-star for Luka Doncic?
The possibility of a healthy James and Davis leading the Lakers back to glory feels considerably less likely. There’s a reason for that. The other experiments haven’t failed yet. The Lakers’ has, last year and the year before that.