The Los Angeles Lakers’ load management of Anthony Davis has been vehemently questioned by Richard Jefferson after their star was ruled out of Wednesday’s match-up with the Houston Rockets.
Speaking on NBA Today, Jefferson said, “I understand if Anthony Davis is injured…but when a coach says that a player is pain-free, but we’re still going to keep him out…then I just get confused.”
Richard Jefferson is confused by the Lakers load managing Anthony Davis 🤔
"I'm not a doctor, so I'm not being critical here. … I just don't understand." pic.twitter.com/TN8hcxNYOy
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 15, 2023
The game against the Rockets is the second of a back-to-back, after the Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. Davis was dominant in that game, putting up 35 points in 33 minutes on 11-18 shooting while also pulling down 17 rebounds. The win took the Lakers’ record to 5-3 since LeBron James’ injury, with Davis having played a major role in many of those victories.
There have been, however, a couple of wins in LeBron’s absence in which Davis has not played a major role, most notably against the Toronto Raptors last Friday when they won despite him taking just seven shots for eight points.
The Lakers’ new additions such as D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt appear to have breathed new life into the team, helping to take some of the load off Davis while LeBron continues to rehabilitate from a foot injury. But with one half of the star duo absent, it will be Davis who has the biggest role to play in the Lakers’ push for a playoff spot.
Currently, they find themselves a game below .500 and sitting in tenth spot in the West, but with just a game separating them from 12th and a couple of games separating them from sixth, every match is pivotal in the run home. With both AD and LeBron out, perhaps the Lakers’ new-look team can tread water, but if they’re to make their way into the play-in tournament spots and potentially even higher, they’ll need Davis out there as often as possible.
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