After five days off, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers returned to action against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Friday night.
Although it was clear the Lakers needed a break after their recent road trip, they seemed a bit rusty when they returned. Turnovers, which had not been a problem for the Lakers this season, became an issue as they gave the ball away 22 times in Minnesota, which hurt their chances of winning.
Despite this, the Lakers stayed close throughout the game. However, head coach JJ Redick’s offense struggled to make shots, as they shot just 38.4% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range. After a strong offensive start to the season, the Lakers have had trouble scoring in recent weeks.
Davis didn’t blame the quality of shots, but instead talked about what it will take to break out of this shooting slump, saying, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Just gotta score. We’re getting good looks but we haven’t been shooting the ball from 3 well. Just gotta make shots. We’re getting great looks. We’re generating open 3s, open looks for our guys. We just gotta be confident enough to make them.”
Davis is optimistic that if the Lakers keep getting open shots, they will eventually start making them:
“You can’t control makes or misses. We just gotta continue to create those looks. If we continue to create those looks, eventually the shots have to fall, especially if guys continue to put in the work and shoot the ball with confidence.”
LeBron James’ absence is also a factor, as losing a key ball-handler and playmaker has made scoring harder. Even though James has had turnover issues recently, his presence is irreplaceable, and his absence may have contributed to the Lakers’ struggles on Friday.
The Lakers face tougher competition in the coming games, so if they want to make the playoffs, they need to improve their decision-making and handle the physicality of other teams.
Anthony Davis isn’t worried about turnovers becoming a long-term problem for the Lakers, as the team has generally done well with ball control. Despite the loss to Minnesota, he’s confident that the turnovers won’t be an ongoing issue.
