Why Doesn't Ed Davis Play More?

The other day I read a Bleacher Report article entitled “The Most Under-appreciated Player on Every NBA Team This Season.” I didn’t have to read the article to know who would be identified as the most under-appreciated Laker. The choice was obvious. He is the player who leads the team in nearly every important statistical category: Player efficiency rating, true shooting percentage, rebounding percentage, blocked shot percentage, and win shares. Yet he never starts and he plays among the fewest minutes of any player on the roster. He is the third youngest player on the team, but when the coach says he wants to give younger players a big audition the rest of the season, he is not referring to this player. Those who cover the team in the media speak highly of him but his name is hardly ever mentioned by the coach.

Live Feed

Paul George reveals Raptors narrowly missed out on drafting him /

Raptors Rapture

Clemson Football: Multiple players enter transfer portalRubbing the Rock

Clemson Football: Tigers look for someone to step up at cornerRubbing the Rock

Clemson football: Options for replacing departed stars at cornerbackRubbing the Rock

5 Toronto Raptors players who attended North Carolina or DukeRaptors Rapture

Clemson Football: Still Figuring it Out at CornerRubbing the Rock

I have come to the conclusion that Byron Scott dislikes Ed Davis. There is no other plausible explanation. The mystery is, why? Davis is probably the team’s best and most consistent player. He seems to be a positive presence in the locker room. In post-game interviews he is always humble and supportive of his teammates and the coaching staff. Logically, he should be a player the Lakers want back next season.

Yet, instead of showing Davis that they appreciate him, he is treated like an afterthought. He should be starting, or at least playing big minutes off the bench. Instead, Davis ranks seventh on the team in minutes played. Night after night, he sits on the bench and watches players who have no future on the team, or in the NBA for that matter, play more minutes. While Tarik Black, Wayne Ellington, and Ryan Kelly have seen their minutes increase in recent games, there is a slim to no chance that Davis will see more time on the court this season. If Davis played 35 minutes a night, he would average 15 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots per game. Sadly, he will not get the chance, at least not with this team, to prove that.

Typical of Davis’ season was Tuesday night’s contest against the Pistons. He played a whopping 18 minutes. Wayne Ellington played 40 minutes and scored fewer points than Davis. Jordan Hill played 30 minutes and had half the number of rebounds Davis collected. Seven teammates played more than Davis. Three players exceeded 30 minutes of playing time: Ellington, Hill, and Wesley Johnson. Jeremy Lin, Carlos Boozer, and Jordan Clarkson played just under 30 minutes. At present, do you think the Lakers will want any of these players to return next season (other than Clarkson)?

More from Lakers News

The game before, Davis entered the game near the end of the first quarter. Playing a mere eight first-half minutes, he scored eight points, had four rebounds, and blocked two shots. He was taking over the game. Then he was suddenly taken out and didn’t return until the third quarter had nearly expired. The Lakers were in the game until the final minutes when Scott again removed Davis and, without him on the court, the team collapsed at the end. Apparently Scott doesn’t think defense is important with the game on the line. In contrast, for the game, Kelly played 23 minutes (far more than Davis) and had a typical stat line: 2 points, 2 rebounds, and no assists or blocks.

Scott always says that defense comes first with him. Davis is, by far, the best defender on the team. He is the only rim protector. He alters shots. He fights for rebounds on both ends of the court. Yet, he is never on the court at the end of games which is when the team struggles most.

On offense, Davis is not fancy, but he moves well without the ball, finishes strong at the rim, and is a nifty passer. He is shooting 60% for the year, and 70% since the All Star break, by far the highest shooting percentage on the team. Some will try to minimize those statistics by noting that his points are all scored around the rim. As long as a player scores, what difference does it make how he does it? If Davis ever develops a mid-range jump shot like Hill has done this year, he will be awesome.

More from Lake Show Life

Instead of sulking, Davis sits and waits. When his name is called, he goes out and plays hard. Often, when he is having a great night, that is when Scott takes him out and he sits for an extended period. It is as though Scott doesn’t want Davis to meet his full potential, but for what reason? Davis has said publically that he would like to return to the Lakers next year, but why? If he hasn’t earned big minutes on this awful team, what chance would he have to play next year if the roster is improved?

Davis has made a statement this year, and other coaches have noticed. The best bet is that he will be courted by several teams this offseason and will be offered a long term contract from one of them which he will accept. All the while the Lakers will be in futile pursuit of, and happily willing to overpay to attract stars such as Marc Gasol or LeMarcus Aldridge, whom they will never get.

Most Laker fans like Davis. They don’t understand why he doesn’t play more. It is enough to make Laker fans want to scream. It is beyond bizarre, but Scott never offers an explanation.

Forcing Davis to sit on the bench while everyone else plays more minutes is inexcusable. There is so little to cheer about these days with this team. Davis is a fan favorite and for good reason. He needs to play more. He deserves to play more. For some reason, it doesn’t look like it will happen.

Next: Predicting Possible 2015-2016 LA Lakers Starting Line-ups

Home/Lakers News

Why Doesn’t Ed Davis Play More?

By Hannah Kulik | Mar 11, 2015

More from Lake Show Life