On Thursday night in San Francisco, the Los Angeles Lakers were without superstar forward LeBron James as he nursed a sore groin to start a three-game road trip. Despite the absence of their leader on the floor, Anthony Davis was able to pick up the slack and help lead the team to a win against the lowly Golden State Warriors.
After the game, Davis spoke to the media about what the team has to do without LeBron on the floor. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate emphasized controlling the defensive end of the floor and what needs to be done in order for the Lakers to do that, via Spectrum SportsNet.
.@LakersReporter talks with @AntDavis23 about everyone stepping up in @KingJames' absence. pic.twitter.com/D6cXi7eTY0
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 28, 2020
“Defense is just about effort,” Davis said. “There's really no schemes to it. It's about effort and wanting to play defense. Whether he's playing or not playing or one guy is out and one guy is in, five guys on the floor can control their defensive effort. That's what we try to do no matter who is on the floor.”
Davis has been a nightmare in the paint on both ends of the floor for opposing teams. He's made his presence known defensively on a nightly basis, and that effort he's shown as inspired the Lakers squad to step it up on that end, which has him as a potential frontrunner to win the regular-season award.
With this win over the Warriors, the Lakers have won seven straight games and show no signs of slowing down even with LeBron on the mend. James sitting out may have been more about load management rather than a genuine concern about his groin being injured, but obviously, the team made the right move as Los Angeles continues to roll as the top team in the Western Conference with a record of 45-12.
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