There's no denying the vital role of Anthony Davis for the Los Angeles Lakers. His presence creates so much positive impact for the Lakers on both ends of the floor, so with him out indefinitely with a right foot injury, Los Angeles is starting to learn how to adjust to a life devoid of Davis on the court.
Davis is irreplaceable, and if the Lakers are to have success without him, they will have to try to soften the impact of his absence collectively, according to Patrick Beverley (h/t Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times)
“Obviously there’s nothing you can do to fill the void of Anthony Davis — especially, the year he’s had this year, not only offense, but obviously rim protection, rebounding,” guard Patrick Beverley said. “You have to do it collectively. And as a start, defensively.
“The last four or five games, we’ve given up 120 points, plus. Ah, it’s tough to win in this league if you’re giving up that many points. We’re scoring a ton of points, though. It’s a positive, but we’re giving up a ton too.”
The Lakers are just 1-4 through five games since Davis' latest injury. They won the first one, a 119-117 victory over the Washington Wizards at home on Dec. 18 before losing the next four, including Christmas Day's 124-115 defeat at the hands of Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on the road.
Over that five-game stretch, the Lakers managed to still shine offensively, scoring an average of 117.6 points on 49.2 percent shooting from the field, but defense is another story. In the same span, the Lakers have surrendered 127.8 points — the worst in the entire league.
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