Topline
Star forward Anthony Davis could return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup for Friday’s pivotal matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans after missing over a month and a half with a mid-foot sprain, and star forward LeBron James may return as well after missing the Lakers’ previous two matchups with an ankle injury, but with the NBA playoffs days away, the chance at any real postseason success for the NBA’s struggling marquee franchise is minimal—if they can even make it to the postseason at all.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis, right, looks at LeBron James during first half of an NBA … [+]
Key Facts
Davis aims to play Friday against the Pelicans barring a setback after missing what will be his team’s previous 18 games with a right mid-foot sprain, The Athletic reported.
James could also return, according to ESPN, potentially incentivized to play in at least three of the Lakers’ final six games in order to qualify for the NBA’s scoring title, as he leads the league in the category at 30.1 points per game but has yet to log the required 58 games.
The 31-44 Lakers sit as the No.10 seed in the Western Conference, barely holding on to the final slot of the league’s play-in tournament with just seven games to go in the regular season—a wildly disappointing scenario for a team that won the NBA championship just two seasons ago.
The 31-45 San Antonio Spurs sit just a half-game back of the Lakers in the standings.
If the Lakers do make the tournament, they’ll face single-elimination against either the Pelicans or Spurs, depending on how the standings shake out, and would then have to defeat the loser of the game between the No. 7 and 8 seeds to qualify for the playoffs.
If the Lakers progress, they’ll face a buzzsaw in the Phoenix Suns, who have already secured the league’s best record at 62-14 and defeated the Lakers in the first round last year on their way to the NBA Finals.
Key Background
The Lakers’ fall from grace was somewhat swift, having won the NBA championship in 2020 with James and Davis. The two superstars have missed a combined 58 games so far this season, but many have pointed to former MVP Russell Westbrook, whom the Lakers traded away quite a few assets to acquire last summer, as one of the reasons the team has struggled. Westbrook’s true shooting rate of 50.8% is the fourth-lowest of his career, and Lakers head coach Frank Vogel has at times resorted to benching Westbrook to close games, reportedly causing tension within the team. Westbrook has spoken openly about how he and his family have been harassed, even receiving death threats, by fans over his poor play. Taking on Westbrook’s contract, worth $44 million this season, may have contributed to the Lakers’ offseason decision to not re-sign guard Alex Caruso, who played a crucial role in the Lakers’ league-leading defense last season. James, despite turning 37 earlier this season, has shown few signs of slowing down, averaging the second-highest scoring rate of his career—but his play has not translated to team success.
Big Number
$144 million. That’s roughly how much money the Lakers already have committed on their 2022-23 payroll to just five players if you combine the contracts of Westbrook ($47 million), James ($44 million) Davis (just under $38 million), guard Talen Horton-Tucker ($10 million) and guard Kendrick Nunn ($5 million), should the latter—who has yet to play a single game this season due to injury—elect to pick up the player option on his contract, according to Spotrac. The Lakers will already be operating well above the projected salary cap of $122 million, meaning they will have little flexibility to acquire talent upgrades in the upcoming season.
What To Watch For
James will be a free agent after the 2022-23 season, and has expressed interest in playing for whichever team drafts his son, LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., who will be eligible for the NBA draft in 2024.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/masonbissada/2022/03/31/anthony-davis-could-return-but-may-be-too-late-to-save-disastrous-lakers-season/