(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers headed to Denver for their first game of the 2023-2024 NBA Season.
They were hoping to play spoiler against the Nuggets, who unveiled their championship banner before the game.
However, the Nuggets were able to come away from the game with a victory, beating the Lakers 119-107.
There were a few key takeaways from the Lakers’ performance, including a load management game from LeBron James and a less-than-ideal performance from Anthony Davis.
Bill Plaschke recently highlighted his frustration with Davis and the Lakers on an installment of “Around The Horn.”
“AD better step up or the Lakers will have no chance,” Plaschke said after also voicing concerns with James.
One game in and @BillPlaschke is “fed up” with Anthony Davis.
“If LeBron’s going to play 29 minutes a game and be on minutes restriction, AD better step up or the Lakers will have no chance.” pic.twitter.com/IFeUz4jL84
— Around the Horn (@AroundtheHorn) October 25, 2023
Despite playing 34 minutes in this game, Davis’ final stat line was 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
This was significantly less than what was expected of Davis heading into this game, which Plaschke seemed disappointed by.
The Lakers made it abundantly clear during this game that James will likely be on minute restriction for the foreseeable future.
With his co-star sitting out, Davis needs to take control of this team if the Lakers want any chance of returning to the NBA Finals.
Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince, and Gabe Vincent are role players who can make a massive impact on any given game.
However, Davis is the other veteran on this team, and without him stepping up in a big way, the Lakers could quickly find themselves in trouble.
How will the Lakers respond in their upcoming games?
The post Analyst Sends Strong Message To Anthony Davis After Poor Showing appeared first on The Cold Wire.