ESPN analyst Mark Jackson had some major criticism for the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday during their loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Jackson laid into Lakers superstar Anthony Davis during the game, claiming that Davis is too good to “be just a regular dude on the court.”
In addition to that, Jackson believes that there are “at least” 12 players on the Clippers roster that could play at least 30 minutes per game for the Lakers this season.
It’s hard to disagree with Jackson’s criticisms at this point in the 2022-23 season, as the Lakers are off to a 2-9 start and have been one of the worst offensive teams in the NBA.
The Lakers are dead last in the NBA in offensive rating following Wednesday’s loss, and they are also last in 3-point percentage. A lot of that has to do with the roster construction by the Lakers front office, as the team lacks proven shooters.
The Clippers are one of the deeper teams in the NBA, and they showed it on Wednesday night. Norman Powell, Nicolas Batum, John Wall and Terance Mann all come off the bench for the Clippers at this point in the season.
With Kawhi Leonard sidelined due to injury, it’s clear that the Clippers have more depth than the Lakers, and it’s not particularly close. Outside of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, the Lakers have just two other players averaging double digits in scoring this season: Lonnie Walker IV and Troy Brown Jr.
For comparison, the Clippers have seven players who average double-digit points, and Luke Kennard, who’s started four games this season, averages 8.3 points per game.
Jackson’s criticism of Davis is important to note, as the Lakers big man hasn’t been his dominant self so far this season. He’s still putting up solid numbers, but as Jackson alluded to, the Lakers need Davis to take over games at times if they want to win.
After missing the playoffs last season, the Lakers are already in hot water with this season’s slow start. Unless they find a way to get more out of this roster, the Lakers could be looking at another frustrating campaign.
