Nick Wright, on his podcast, promptly dismissed the hope and positive vibe that came out of the Lakers’ Media Day and training camp. Here’s what he said that will undoubtedly irritate the LA Nation:

During the LA Lakers’ Media Day, Anthony Davis pushed the idea that the team has an underdog mentality heading into the season. He mentioned that having a chip on their shoulder is a great starting point for them to have a bounce-back campaign after last season’s humiliaton.

For the Lakers to at least have a sniff of the playoffs, AD has to be fully healthy, fit and engaged. Davis hasn’t been healthy over the last two years, which is a big reason the team didn’t do well in that span.

The last time the Kentucky product was free of injuries, he led the Lakers, alongside LeBron James, to the 2020 NBA championship.

“The Brow” has played 36 and 40 games, respectively, in his last two years in Hollywood. Jumping from those numbers to 82 requires more than just dedication and an unrelenting drive to play. He also needs a little bit of luck to stay away from fluke injuries, something which happened thrice last season alone.

LA will have a better chance of fighting for a playoff spot if Davis plays in at least 65 of the Lakers’ games. They can’t afford to miss him for more than that as their margin of error gets considerably smaller.

Even if Anthony Davis plays all 82 games, the roster might not be enough to get the LA Lakers to the playoffs

As good as Anthony Davis can be, the supporting cast will have to play a major role if the LA Lakers want to contend.

Nick Wright, however, doesn’t give the Lakers a chance as they are presently constructed:

The LA Lakers have added plenty of youth to their side in the hopes of getting more hustle, attention to detail and energy. Shooting, however, continues to be a glaring weakness.

Patrick Beverley, one of the team’s most popular acquisitions, is a decent three-point shooter but is coming off his career-worst average last season. Dennis Schroder, who’s reuniting with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, shot only 34.4% from rainbow distance last season.

They join a group that has Russell Westbrook, Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Davis who are poor to average three-point marksmen.

If the LA Lakers can’t hit a decent mark as a team on three-point shooting, Anthony Davis playing all 82 games may not be enough.

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