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Lakers to run offense through Anthony Davis instead of LeBron James next season
Joe Lyons is a sports writer and has also been published by Nottingham Forest FC, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of sports including soccer, basketball, darts and American football. Joe specialises in long form SEO content alongside news, tips and betting. His sports betting work can be found on SportsLens and The Sports Daily. Joe has a keen eye for the sports betting industry in the USA which covers the NBA and NFL, tracking and analysing the market as it changes throughout the season.
All posts by Joe LyonsUpdated10 Aug 2022
Los Angeles Lakers are planning to run head coach Darvin Ham’s offense through Anthony Davis instead of LeBron James next season, according to a report from Chris Haynes.
When Darvin Ham spoke to LeBron James about the scheme to run the team’s offensive possessions through big man Anthony Davis, James agreed according to the report.
‘James drilled home the importance of consistent competitiveness and cohesion, noting that last season’s team didn’t give themselves a chance on many nights. The focus for the future Hall of Famer is competing every night in order to give themselves a chance to compete for a championship.’
Yahoo Sources: Inside LeBron James' meeting with Lakers front office: Darvin Ham's offensive plan, Rob Pelinka's roster patience. https://t.co/1LMPYeTVoZ
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 10, 2022
After missing the playoffs in an entirely disappointing season for Russell Westbrook, Davis, James, and the Lakers, Frank Vogel was replaced by Darvin Ham as head coach despite Vogel leading the team to a championship two years ago.
‘Ham agreed with James and reiterated that his main objectives are to hold everyone accountable and foster an atmosphere of selflessness, sources said.
‘He voiced that defensive tenacity needs to be picked up all across the roster and also forewarned that players would have to play new roles and if he sensed reluctance, he wouldn’t hesitate to remove them from the game, sources said.’
The team is reportedly hopeful that Westbrook will improve his corner-3 shooting percentage next season, which he shot at 45% last season on 23-51 field goals.
Having signed Lonnie Walker IV, Troy Brown Jr., Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Thomas Bryant in free agency, the Lakers have certainly improved but there are considerable doubts over whether this roster will be able to support a deep playoff run.
A deal for Kyrie Irving looks unlikely at this point after the 30-year-old opted into his $37 million player option with the Brooklyn Nets, but if Kevin Durant is traded the team may look to rebuild.
