Are we seeing an Anthony Davis revival? And how about those resurgent Sacramento Kings? Yes — the Sacramento Kings.
Nearly 20 games into the NBA season, here’s our weekly look at which teams and players are rising and falling.
Rising: Anthony Davis
When Lakers coach Darvin Ham was hired over the summer, he took Davis out to dinner. His message to the big man was simple: You are the key to the team’s success.
Ham believed LeBron James would be LeBron James. He thought Russell Westbrook was going to improve (he couldn’t play much worse than he did last season). So, he looked at Davis as the real difference-maker on the team. Simply put, when Davis is engaged and aggressive on both ends of the court, the Lakers are competitive. When he’s not, they’re mediocre.
Davis has proved Ham’s theory to be correct.
With James missing the team’s last four games because of a strained left adductor, Davis has made it his mission to put the squad on his back. He has led the Lakers to three straight wins for the first time this season, averaging 35 points and 17.3 rebounds over that stretch. In the team’s latest win, a 31-point rout over the San Antonio Spurs, Davis had 30 points on 12-for-19 shooting, 18 rebounds, three steals and a block.
“He has to be the focal point, he has to spearhead the charge,” Ham said. “It’s just the way we’re built.”
Falling: The Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers slipped from the top seed in the Western Conference to the eighth seed after losing three games in a row, including four of their last five.
They experienced a setback when Damian Lillard suffered a right calf strain against Utah on Saturday. He will be reevaluated in one to two weeks. Lillard leads the team in both points (26.3) and assists (7.0).
While another calf strain sidelined Lillard for four games earlier this month, the current silver lining is that this calf strain is expected to not be as serious.
Without their superstar, Anfernee Simons is going to need to pick up some of the offensive load.
Rising: The Sacramento Kings
When Mike Brown took over in Sactown, there was a newfound sense of hope for the organization. Maybe it was Brown’s charismatic smile. Or his promise to revamp the team’s culture. Or just being a highly respected coach who was being given another opportunity to lead an organization.
There was something that made you root for both Brown and a franchise that had missed the playoffs 16 years in a row….
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