The Los Angeles Lakers received brutal news on Saturday after it was confirmed that Anthony Davis will be severely missed with a knee injury. There’s no denying that AD’s absence will be a huge blow to the Lakers, but it turns out that there might be a silver lining to it all.
Apparently, whenever Davis is out, LeBron James is somehow able to take his game up a notch for the Lakers (h / t ESPN Statistics and Information on Twitter):
With Anthony Davis sidelined, the Lakers can count on a heavy dose of LeBron James.
The Lakers are 27 points ahead of their opponents when LeBron James is on the pitch without Anthony Davis this season, which is better than when they split the pitch. pic.twitter.com/jLOHS5Kg2W
– ESPN statistics and information (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 19, 2021
Davis underwent an MRI on Saturday after injuring his left knee in Friday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The test results weren’t good at all, and Davis will now be forced to miss at least four weeks of action after being diagnosed with a sprained MCL.
The good news for the Lakers is that LeBron appears to be at his best without an AD. The bad news is that James will be carrying a much heavier load without his superstar teammate in the mix. Say what you want about the King’s endurance, but there’s still no denying that an increased workload will eventually wreak havoc on LeBron, who turns 37 on December 30.