Lakers News: Darvin Ham's Plan For L.A. With LeBron James Out Of Lineup

Lakers superstar Anthony Davis set the tone against the Nets

The Los Angeles Lakers are not starting off the way they wanted. They’re currently 3-10, landing at 14 in the Western Conference standings. However, last night they picked up their third win thanks to Lakers big man Anthony Davis. 

Davis was a force to be reckoned with during L.A.'s third win of the season Sunday, a 116-103 defeat of the visiting Brooklyn Nets. The eight-time All-Star played like his dominant self scoring 37 points, dishing out two assists, and snatching 18 boards, a new season-high. 

From start to finish, you can see AD was a man on a mission, and it showed in the stat sheet and on the bench. You can thank first-time head coach Darvin Ham for AD’s spectacular performance. With LeBron James missing his second consecutive game on Sunday with a groin injury, Ham wanted Davis to carry the load for the starters. 

Ham said a key part of the plan was to have AD carry the starters, esp. w/LeBron out. He wanted a lot of interior touches. “I told him, ‘Don’t settle.’ He’s been a monster, and he carried us tonight.”

They spoke at length after the loss on Friday, and AD said he had Ham’s back.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) November 14, 2022

It was vital for Anthony to play like that with James out of the lineup; however, that must be a constant theme. LeBron or no LeBron, Davis must be dominant every time he’s on the court. 

The 29-year-old is more than capable of playing like that; more times than not, he is the most skilled player on the floor, not just for big men. Davis has the handles, the athleticism, and the skill to school anyone on the court. 

The issue with Davis has been his lack of consistency; sometimes, he looks like a top 3 player in the world, and other times he disappears, and more times than not, it’s because of his own doing. 

AD is not only a solid offensive player, but his defense might be his best trait. 

LeBron and Anthony Davis have proven themselves to be the one of the elite duos in the league when both are on the court and producing the way we’re accustomed to seeing them. 

They are the catalyst of this team, and the team goes as they go.