On March 9, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA regular season continued. After yesterday's loss to the Spurs, the Lakers' record became 28-36, ranking only 9th in the West. They are five wins away from the 8th-place Clippers in the West and only one win ahead of the 10th-place Pelicans in the West, and whether they can make the playoffs has become a question mark.
Earlier today, famed journalist Bill Simmons spoke about the Lakers in a podcast show, and he pointed the finger at Davis. He said: "If the Lakers miss the playoffs this year, it will be the sixth time in 10 years that Davis has not made the playoffs. Look at the other really good players in the league, when Alphabet Brother and Jokic are healthy, they never miss the playoffs. This season we've discovered the fact that Davis can't make the playoffs and it has nothing to do with who his teammates are! ”
So far this season, Davis has only made 37 appearances for the Lakers due to injury, averaging 23.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. After suffering a foot injury against the Jazz on Feb. 17, Davis has been sidelined. His attendance has become the team's biggest concern, which is one of the reasons for the Lakers' poor record this season.
There are different voices about Davis' situation. Big Van Gundy thinks the Lakers can't live without Davis, he said: "Since Davis was injured, the Lakers are no longer a talented team, they are old and small, and they are still very slow. ”
And the famous commentator A-Smith said: "I like Davis, he is very talented when he is healthy, but because of his frequent injury history, I have to think about what the Lakers should use him for this summer." ”
As Bill Simmons put it, this season is the 10th season of Davis' career, and in his last nine seasons, he has only made the playoffs four times, including two outs in the first round, one in the semifinals, and one championship!