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Jan 25, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates his three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
via Imago
Jan 25, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates his three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James and Anthony Davis proved their worth last season, leading the LA Lakers to an NBA title in their first season together. After that sensational season, fans expect the Lakers to repeat the same level of success this season as well. So far, they are playing excellent, but AD is still in search of his form.
Despite the Lakers having a superb 14-5 record, Davis has been very inconsistent. Tonight, the Lakers were handed their first road defeat of the season by the Philadelphia 76ers. While it was just a one point defeat, there were some glaring issues in the free-throw department for the team.
Anthony Davis, in particular, went just 5-of-10 from the FT line and the Lakers barely managed to cross the 60% mark. Moreover, this is not the first time this season that AD has struggled from the charity stripe. He is averaging just 71.1% from the FT line, despite his career average being 80% for the same.
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LeBron James talks about Anthony Davis’ free throw struggles
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 1, 2021; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) backs in against San Antonio Spurs forward Rudy Gay (22) in the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
LBJ gave his take on AD’s struggles in the first half of the season. According to NBA reporter Ryan Ward, LeBron said:
“Missed some shots that he’s accustomed to making. I think AD is in a pretty good rhythm right now & I think every gm is getting better & better for him, but it’s our job to give him the ball & I thought we did a good job at times. At times, we did not.”
LeBron on AD's struggles: "Missed some shots that he's accustomed to making. I think AD is in a pretty good rhythm right now & I think every gm is getting better & better for him, but it's our job to give him the ball & I thought we did a good job at times. At times, we did not."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 28, 2021
While Davis is yet to find his touch this season, the Lakers have still managed to perform at an elite level thanks to LeBron James. But moving forward, the purple and gold would need the Brow to step up his contribution.
Can the LA Lakers win back-to-back NBA titles this season?
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USA Today via Reuters
Jan 10, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first quarter of a game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on January 10, 2021 in Houston, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Carmen Mandato/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Even before the season began, most fans deemed the Lakers as the best team in the league. While they have lived up to their expectations for the most part, they are lacking in a few areas. As mentioned earlier, their struggles from the charity stripe are quite evident.
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Once they improve in that department, there is a good chance the LA Lakers will be crowned the champions of the league once again.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know your views in the comments section below.
