Ed Davis: The Under-Utilized and Under-Appreciated Laker
By Hannah Kulik
When Jordan Hill was recently injured, most Laker fans assumed Ed Davis would replace him in the starting line-up. Davis got to watch from the bench while Robert Sacre, Ryan Kelly, and Tarik Black all got the start against Milwaukee, even though Davis has more talent than Sacre and Kelly combined.
Black had hardly been playing at all since injuring his ankle last month, only to find himself an unexpected starter in Hill’s absence. Davis waited patiently on the bench, and in the end, he grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds and made key shots in the final minutes of the fourth quarter that spurred the Lakers’ comeback and sent the game into overtime.
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Davis has been solid all season, but Byron Scott does not seem to notice. There is something about Davis, and what he contributes, that fans like, but Scott apparently does not agree. How else can you explain why Sacre, and not Davis, is starting at center for the Lakers? Sacre is a nice guy, and a good teammate, but talent-wise he will never be more than the 14th or 15th player on any NBA roster. Is it possible that Scott is the only person in Los Angeles who does not realize that? If he does, what explanation is there for why Sacre starts and on most nights plays more minutes than Davis?
Davis’ game is not perfect. He is a young player who was used sparingly before this season. On Memphis, his last team, he played behind Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, which means he didn’t get much time on the court. He needs to develop a mid-range jump shot and to learn to use his off-hand going to the basket.Those things can be learned, however. Davis is a solid defensive player, a very good rebounder on the offensive and defensive ends of the court, and a rim protector. He deserves to play 30 minutes a night but rarely plays more than 20. In one recent game, Sacre played 29 minutes while Davis played only 16. In those 16 minutes, Davis had a double-double.
Davis signed with the Lakers for very little money. Many pundits recognized his potential and questioned why he would sign for the minimum. It was reported that he was a steal for the Lakers. Davis wanted to go somewhere he would be assured of playing a lot of minutes to showcase his skills, and the talent-strapped Lakers seemed to fit the bill.
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Davis has played a lot this season, but not as much as he should be playing. His statistics are good, but if he played a consistent 30 plus minutes a night with the same players in order to create some cohesiveness, his stats would be stellar. Unfortunately, given Scott’s penchant for creating new starting units that can neither score nor defend, it is unlikely that Davis will get big minutes unless Hill is out for an extended period or is traded at the deadline.
The Lakers are presumably spending the second half of the season trying to decide who on the current roster they want back next season. What they may forget is that, on their part, most of the players are trying to decide if they even want to return. The Lakers have been focused on maintaining financial flexibility by signing players to one year minimum deals, but that works against them if one of those players has a strong season and can leave. Davis, in particular, can walk at the end of the season even if the Lakers decide they want him.
Davis is one of the younger players on the team and one of the few who has the potential to become a strong contributor on a hopefully improved Laker roster next season. If they are not careful, however, Davis will go elsewhere. He is underutilized and seemingly under appreciated by Scott. One could hardly criticize Davis if he felt disappointed with how he has been treated. That had better change, and soon, if the Lakers hope to convince Davis to return next season.