The Los Angeles Lakers keep getting hit with the injury bug.
Anthony Davis is the latest member of the team to go down for an extended period of time. An injury against the Minnesota Timberwolves later revealed an MCL sprain that would sideline him for at least four weeks.
Without Davis manning the paint on both ends, the onus shifts to LeBron James and Russell Westbrook to shoulder a heavier load on offense.
That manifested in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bulls. James put up 31 points, 14 rebounds and six assists while playing minutes at center, and Westbrook was the team’s second-highest scorer with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists.
After the game, Westbrook explained how he’ll need to do more with Davis out.
“I mean, instinctively, that’s what you tell yourself, but also you got to read the game,” Westbrook said. “Because the game will tell you always what to do. Whether that’s scoring more, passing more, rebounding more, whatever that may be. But AD is obviously a huge part of our team and we got to figure out how to play without him for some time. So something we got to adjust to, and something we can figure out.”
It’s a difficult position for the Lakers to be in because the team’s roster construction isn’t built to withstand Davis’ absence. It doesn’t help that Dwight Howard is out due to health and safety protocols, and DeAndre Jordan is facing criticism for his play, or lack thereof.
Jay Huff, a 7-foot-1 two-way center who can space the floor, is another option, but he hasn’t played yet. James, Carmelo Anthony and Trevor Ariza have all split time playing center and even playing on the court simultaneously, but sustaining winning basketball without Davis for about a month will be a major hurdle.
