The core of a title team can still be made up of Anthony Davis and LeBron James, even after two disappointing seasons.
I think we can. Davis conducted a season-wrap news conference before the Los Angeles Lakers played their final game of the season on Sunday.
It's... We will come together as a group to get back to our championship mentality. From the standpoint of what changed, that would be a very interesting conversation. Even though we were healthy, I don't think we were able to reach our full potential. I think we need to figure it out and get back to the championship caliber that we know we are capable of.
The Lakers came into training camp as one of the Las Vegas favorites to win the NBA championship and they finished the season with a 33-49 record, the 22nd best in a 30-team league. Davis played in just 40 games because of injuries, including 21 of L.A.'s final 24 games after the All-Star break. The Lakers went 6-18 in that stretch.
Davis said that surgery on his foot was never an option and that he could have an exam this week.
Taking however much time off and then coming back and getting ready for next season.
Davis performed better than the 2020-21 campaign, when he seemed spent from the Lakers' extended run to the championship in the NBA bubble. He increased his points from 21.8 to 23.2, shooting rate from 49.1% to 53.2%, rebound from 7.9 to 9.9, and blocks from 1.6 to 2.3, but he wasn't available enough to change L.A.'s fortunes.
The Lakers never got a good look at what Davis, James and Russell could be as a trio because of the amount of time Davis and James were out. They only appeared in 21 games as a group. They were only 20-33 in games when two of them played together.
Davis said that not to log enough minutes together hurt them.
The point guard shouldered too much of the blame for what was a terrible campaign, according to Davis, who signed off on the Lakers acquisition of Westbrook.
Russ is not a one-man show. He cannot beat teams by himself. Davis said it was all of them. He was not on the floor. Everyone. The coaches. Everyone is a part of the blame. Russ, it wasn't his fault.
Davis acknowledged that the version of his game that he displayed in previous stops with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Wizards was not what L.A. was looking for.
Davis said that they didn't need that this year. Everyone had to change. Everyone had to give up something. It was difficult for Westbury to adjust to that.
The team never stopped believing in its championship potential until it was eliminated from the playoffs earlier this week, according to Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony. Anthony said organization-wide reflection is in the works after coming up short of their goal.
The truth starts with the individual. Anthony said that each individual had to look in the mirror and say what they could have done better. You need to face yourself first. Everyone needs to be held accountable. We were a part of it. It was not only the coaches. The players were not the only ones. We were a part of it. I think that we should all take accountability for things that aren't going our way.
Anthony, who will be a free agent this summer, wasn't sure about his future with the Lakers.
Anthony said that this was another chapter for him. I can finally check the box. It was played with AD. We were great on paper. I had a good year. Being able to go out there and compete and be part of a team is just as happy as being able to do my part.
There were good days and bad days, but we got through it.
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