Lakers' Bold Plans For Anthony Davis Next Season

NBA Analysis Network

After a poor 2021-22 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to try some new things this upcoming season to hopefully get back on track. First-time head coach Darvin Ham will be tasked with making the adjustments as he is replacing Frank Vogel, who was fired after three seasons on the job.

The biggest obstacle that Ham will have to overcome is what to do with Russell Westbrook. Westbrook has shown to be unwilling to change his style of play, but Ham has been given more freedom with lineup configurations so he could bench Westbrook when he sees fit.

While figuring out the Westbrook situation is important, it is far from the only thing that Ham will have to figure out. He will have to set up a new game plan and some of that change was revealed in a recent meeting LeBron James had with the team.

His contract was mentioned, but a lot of the focus of the meeting was on how things can improve during the 2022-23 season. One of the things that were revealed was that the offense will be changing.

According to sources of Yahoo Sports who have some insight from the meeting, the offense will now run through Anthony Davis.

“Furthermore, the first-year head coach said one wrinkle he will implement and stick with is having the offense run through Anthony Davis, and James concurred, sources said. The team has been encouraged with Davis’ offseason progression and believe he’ll be in optimum shape to avoid serious injuries and carry a heavier load.”

That is certainly a big risk given how injury-prone Davis has been throughout his career. Last season he played in only 40 games as he dealt with a myriad of injuries, some more serious than others. Having him as the hub of the offense could lead to changes being made constantly if he cannot stay on the court.

However, Davis has looked good in the clips of him working out this season. If the organization is convinced that he can turn a corner when it comes to good health, running the offense through him makes a lot of sense. Despite the injuries, when healthy, Davis has shown that he can dominate.

Entering his prime, Davis is someone that should be carrying the load in Los Angeles. It will help keep James, who is entering his 20th season and soon to be 38 years old, fresher for the stretch run and postseason.