All signs point to LeBron James returning from his right foot injury before the regular season comes to a close. Just because the four-time champion is primed to be back on the floor in time for the postseason, though, hardly means the Los Angeles Lakers are guaranteed a playoff berth in the tightly packed Western Conference—and Anthony Davis is feeling the pressure.
Addressing the additional burden he's carried with James sidelined during the season's pivotal stretch run, Davis admitted he's aware of his outsized importance to the Lakers' success.
“I think any time you are playing with another star anywhere and that guy goes out, as much as you try and isolate and not put much pressure on yourself, everybody's looking for you to fill those shoes or at least half those shoes and the team fill up the other half,” he said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. “So for me, knowing that he was going to be off work in an extended period of time and everyone's looking at me like, ‘OK AD, we need you to carry us until we are able to get whole again now.'”
Don't confuse that acknowledgement with Davis running from the challenge, though. He's fully aware of what's at stake for Los Angeles, and knows his short-handed team could miss the play-in tournament—let alone fail to finish in the West's top-six—if he doesn't level up with James sidelined.
“Obviously, my part in this has been huge,” Davis said. “Expectations of my performance and my leadership is high. Not only for myself, but for my team, my coaches, and the organization.”
The eight-time All-Star has lived up to that billing since James went down, averaging 26.3 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks on 54.3% shooting in 10 games, leading the Lakers to a 6-4 record. Davis has also missed two games over that timeframe due to injury management; Los Angeles beat the Oklahoma City Thunder but fell to the Houston Rockets without him.
The Lakers enter Friday's game against the Thunder at 36-37, tied with the Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans for the West's eighth-best record. The game will decide who owns the head-to-head tie-breaker between Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, potentially crucial for postseason seeding.
Follow Us
Subscribe