The Los Angeles Lakers managed to escape with a 102-101 win against the Brooklyn Nets, though it shouldn’t have been that close despite Anthony Davis not being active.
Davis was ruled out just before tip off against the Nets due to foot soreness, an issue that he’s been managing throughout the 2024-25 season. Dorian Finney-Smith was also ruled out for the second straight game due to personal reasons as he and his partner recently welcomed a baby boy to their family.
Brooklyn still struggled to score even though Davis didn’t play, but his absence was still felt on Los Angeles’ end. Offensively, the team really missed Davis’ ability to score near the rim and punish opponents on the board.
After the win, head coach JJ Redick said Davis was held out of precaution and that he is expected to suit up on Sunday against the L.A. Clippers.
“My assumption is yes,” Redick said. “He went through his pregame and had some soreness in that foot. Out of an abundance of caution, we held him out tonight.”
Redick also said he expected Finney-Smith to be back with the team by Sunday as well.
“My assumption is he’ll be available on Sunday night,” Redick added.
Against a team like the Nets that isn’t expected to be competitive the rest of the year, it made sense for Redick and the coaching staff to sit Davis to get him some much-needed rest. It’s a similar strategy the Lakers are following when it comes to LeBron James who has managed to stay healthy so far this season.
Both Davis and Finney-Smith will be needed against the Clippers, who have been one of the best teams in the Western Conference. The Lakers and Clippers are neck-and-neck with each other in the standings, so their matchup on Sunday could carry some major playoff implications.
The Lakers’ lack of big man depth was on full display against the Nets, so Davis’ return to the starting lineup should help mask that issue. However, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue has always gameplanned well against the Lakers so it will be interesting to see how Redick and his staff fare later this weekend.
JJ Redick says Lakers will return to two-big lineups with Anthony Davis in small doses
Despite the lack of true big men on the roster, JJ Redick said he would experiment with two-big lineups again with Anthony Davis and another center in small doses. Redick noted the change comes amid the team’s recent defensive struggles and most notably opposing teams doing everything they can to draw Davis away from the paint.
Redick said they’ll still play small, but this represents a big change in his overall philosophy.
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