They have to at least until Lebron gets hurt or they are actually eliminated from the playoffs. I mean entering today they were still the 7th seed and that is without Davis and their big 3 playing in 15 games total. If Davis really does come back some time in January, the Lakers will be fine (and by fine, I mean making the playoffs with a chance to do some real damage if they are healthy)
Is him not getting injured in playing those minutes not a really valid concern? I mean I wouldn't even like it for Tatum and Brown. And while he was an absolute warrior until he got to LA, he has had a variety of injuries since he got there. Even if it means you have to sit him a few extra minutes and you are more likely to lose, it not is not worth risking injuring him entirely. I also think this is usually the sign of a bad coach.
Also they haven’t been fine all season when they had Davis. Why would they magically be fine when he does? Davis has put on a lot of weight to bulk up for center and is not the same player. Westbrook is also a disaster. I don’t think they will be fine with this roster.
Sure it is a concern, but what exactly are the Lakers options? I mean not playing a healthy Lebron will never fly with Lebron and when he is healthy he plays a lot of minutes and always has. As long as Lebron is healthy, he is going to play like he always does. That is just who he is and as he keeps inching closer to the Mailman and Kareem, he isn't going to sit just to sit. If Lebron can play he will. And if Lebron plays, he is going to play a lot of minutes. That is just the reality of the situation.
Lebron, Davis, and Russ have played 15 games together and they weren't consecutive. I believe the Lakers are 8-7 in those games, which isn't great, but also isn't terrible. If Davis comes back in January and they can play the rest of the year mostly healthy, I fully expect them to be a 50 win pace type team that if they enter the playoffs healthy could beat anyone because Lebron is still pretty clearly a top 10 player, Davis is supposed to be a top 10 player, and Russ still has his moments of greatness. If they end up the 6th seed and play Utah, the Lakers would have the 2 best players in that series, and while it does happen, it is incredibly rare for a team to lose a playoff series when it has the 2 best players on the floor. They have to be healthy, which is obviously not the most likely outcome though given Lebron's age and AD's inability to ever stay healthy.
