Anthony Davis has been told his performances will determine how far the Los Angeles Lakers go in the NBA playoffs as LeBron James is expected to deliver as he has done across his illustrious career.
The Lakers clinched the seventh seed and will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round after James and co. defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Play-In. The 38-year-old scored 30 points while Davis added 24 points and 15 rebounds as Los Angeles secured a 108-102 overtime win.
James is considered by some to be the greatest player in league history, with the four-time champion reaching the NBA Finals on 10 occasions over his 20-year career. He last won the title in 2020, leading the Lakers to glory in the bubble down in Orlando alongside Davis.
While the Lakers have endured a tumultuous season after starting the campaign 2-10, many believe the makeup of the roster - which was heavily altered at the NBA Trade Deadline - could go on a postseason run. NFL Hall of Famer and sports personality Shannon Sharpe believes Davis is the key to the Lakers’ success in the playoffs as he believes James will continue to thrive.
“LeBron is going to be LeBron,” Sharpe said on Fox Sports’ Undisputed. “Jaren Jackson is going to win Defensive Player of the Year and rightfully so, but that’s a matchup AD should be able to win.”
When asked who he believes will come out the Western Conference, Sharpe pointed to the favourable matchup for James and co. in the first round, adding: “I like the Lakers. I know a lot of people aren’t as bullish on the Lakers as I am, but I like their matchup.
“If you go back and look at AD’s numbers against the Grizzlies this year, he had a 30-20 game, a 28-19 game, and they’re 2-1 against the Grizz. In one of those games, [Memphis] had Steven Adams and obviously he won’t be there.”
Adams is the Grizzlies’ big man who featured beside Jaren Jackson in a fierce frontcourt partnership for Memphis. However, the New Zealand star is likely to miss the postseason with an ill-timed knee injury.
Brandon Clarke, another strong big for Memphis, is also out. The 26-year-old suffered a torn Achilles last month, ending his season in a blow to the Grizzlies’ NBA championship hopes.
Also, Jackson finished the 2022/23 season second in the NBA for total fouls behind Timberwolves ace Karl Anthony-Towns, which means the Lakers could find success by targeting the 23-year-old to get him into foul trouble early. If Jackson is forced to sit early, Davis - and James - will dominate the interior.
James finished the regular season with 28.9 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists, while Davis tallied 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per contest. Both stars struggled with injury troubles but are fit for the postseason. The Lakers travel to Memphis for Game 1 of their playoff series at FedExForum on Sunday.
