The Los Angeles Lakers are still in the playoff hunt despite LeBron James being out since Feb. 26 with a right foot tendon injury. However, while a 36-37 record that puts them in position to make the play-in tournament as a 10th seed is nothing to brag about, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham believes that his team is better off from the lessons they learned during LeBron's absence.
“Bron, with him being out, it’s revealed that we have a lot of different weapons that are very capable players on both sides of the ball that can help us achieve the goal we’re trying to achieve,” Ham tells Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
“And when he comes back, he’s just going to add to it.”
Since James' injury, the primary players that have elevated their play are Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, two players already on the roster.
Nonetheless, despite still dealing with his own foot injury, AD has scored 30 or more points on four occasions since LeBron has been out. This includes a dominant 30-point, 22-rebound performance in a victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Reaves has shined as a playmaker, averaging 18.3 points and 5.8 assists per game on 56.8 percent shooting from the field and 41.0 percent from 3-point range since Feb. 28.
Furthermore, in the games that he's been healthy, D'Angelo Russell has played well as well. Averaging 21.6 points and 7.1 assists per game in his last seven contests, Russell is also shooting 40.7 percent from 3-point range, a stark contrast from the Lakers' prior starting point guards.
Follow Us
Subscribe