LeBron James doesn’t make it sound like Anthony Davis will play in Game 6
By John Buhler
LeBron James does not sound overly confident that Anthony Davis will play at all in Game 6.
With the Los Angeles Lakers facing elimination, LeBron James is preparing to play Game 6 vs. the Phoenix Suns without his front-court running mate Anthony Davis.
The Lakers lost by 30 points on the road to Phoenix on Tuesday night. Davis did not play in this game due to an ongoing groin injury. The Lakers are the reigning NBA champions, but it does not seem like the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference is going to be sticking around in the 2021 NBA Playoffs for all that much longer. They might drop Game 6 at home on Thursday for all we know.
While James and the Lakers have not admitted defeat yet, it feels like they will bow out very soon.
It's up in the air whether Anthony Davis plays in Game 6. But LeBron James said he's "preparing as if he's not."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 2, 2021
Lakers: LeBron James is not overly confident Anthony Davis will play in Game 6
When healthy, the Lakers are among the best teams in the NBA. Unfortunately, they have not had a clean bill of health all year long. Davis and James have missed plenty of time due to injuries. While this has been commonplace for Davis since he entered the league, James’ injury issues have only surfaced since he joined the Lakers three years ago. This year’s team just may not have it.
While it serves James and the rest of the Lakers to prepare for Game 6 as if Davis is not going to play, he has been the most important player in this best-of-seven series. When Davis plays well, the Lakers win. It has been really that simple. Sadly, the Lakers cannot count on their second-best player to be healthy this spring. His groin injury will probably knock this team out of the playoffs.
Look for James to put forth a herculean effort to keep the Lakers’ playoff dreams alive in Game 6.