(The original text was published on November 25. The author is Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated. The content of the article does not represent the translator’s point of view)

The situation of the Lakers this season is not optimistic. People always catch some signs of small samples and try to prove that everything will be fine. In the last five games, Anthony Davis attacked fiercely and scored 33.2 points, all of which were completed during James’s absence. At the same time, it was also Davis’s first season (the first season to join the Lakers) from December 1 to December 8, 2019, scoring more than 33 points for the first time in five consecutive matches. This is what the Lakers want to see most at present, making sure there is still hope this season.

James has missed the last six games (back in today’s match against Spurs), and the Lakers have won 3-3 losses in these six games. The victory over Spurs, piston and basketable nets does not mean that the Lakers are back on track, but they are finally getting better. In the absence of James, it was a good result for the Lakers to maintain a 50% win rate. When James was absent last season, the Lakers had only 8 wins and 18 losses. Damn it, it is worth celebrating that James can win 50% without the Lakers. After all, their current record is still only 5-11 (6 wins after winning Spurs today), it seems that the Lakers are still a lot short of seats in the playoff play-off.

However, the recent performance of Davis has made us look forward to the prospect of the Lakers in the playoffs. If Davis can still maintain this state after James’s return, it will be very close to the version of Davis’s first year when Davis came to the Lakers and scored the leading team. The Lakers may be able to achieve some results.

In the past few matches, what is special about Davis’s play? Taking full advantage of his physical advantages, the Lakers sent a temporary starter composed of Beverly, little Troy-Brown, Lonnie-Walker, Reeves and Davis, which could help Davis open a certain space, then Davis made full use of this. Since James was absent from the game, Davis had more shots within 15 feet than at the beginning of the season. In the past few weeks, Davis basically didn’t vote for three points, which was a wise decision for a center with unstable jump shots.

Davis has obviously strengthened the impact on RIM recently. Not only is the shooting closer to RIM, but also the frequency of standing on freethrow line can be called enbide in the West. In the past five games, Davis has stood at freethrow line 12.2 times, and the number of free throws in three games is double. In the match against the piston on November 18, Davis shot 21 free throws. Before November 11, Davis didn’t have more than 10 free throws in the whole season. Davis can hit 8.8 free throws in November, which is his highest record since February 2020 (except the rematch Park). At the same time, Davis also played a very good defensive performance. The Lakers’ current defensive efficiency this season can be ranked in the top ten in the league, while in the past five Davis scoring explosions, the Lakers’ defensive efficiency is ranked seventh in the league.

In short, this is the Anthony Davis that the Lakers dreamed of three years ago. The performance of five games obviously cannot decide a season. It is a huge challenge to keep this state all the time, and there is a reason why few players can do it. However, we all know that Davis has the ability to play MVP-level performance. At the same time, it is the first time that Davis has played a game at both ends of attack and defense in recent years, which does not live up to the lofty expectations of the outside world.

What does this mean to the Lakers? First of all, the most important thing is to keep Davis going. If it is just a flash in the pan, then it is meaningless. If Davis is really in the state, then the next step is to look at James’s performance after his return. James can score 24.9 points in 10 games this season, the lowest since the rookie season, and the only season with an average score of no more than 25 points. James’s efficiency has not been very good so far. Maybe he needs some sense of belief and a lighter scoring pressure, so his data will be more like himself. If James is back on track, then the topic will return to the first round signing of the two deals. James and Davis both performed in the top 15 levels of the league, plus some good role players around, the Lakers can definitely return to the playoffs.

The Lakers still have a long way to go. What needs to be clear is that we need Davis to continue to maintain this rare competitive state in recent years. James can play two years younger, the management can package Wei Shao and selection rights to conduct some transactions. Of course, the results of many things are uncertain, but for a team that has bottomed out, Davis’s recovery is really a rare flash. If Davis can keep doing this in the foreseeable future, then it may be time to re-examine the Lakers.

Original: Rohan Nadkarni

Compile: Li Taibai

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