A month after All-Star Anthony Davis requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, three teams involved in the drama have all posted losing records, including potential suitors with the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
The combined teams have gone only 16-23 since Anthony Davis’ agent mentioned his client want out of New Orleans. The Pelicans (29-36) are 6-8 since that bombshell and the team is in fragmented in the locker room. The Lakers (30-33) hit the biggest skid with a 4-8 clip and saw their playoff aspirations almost vanish overnight.
Meanwhile, the Celtics (38-26) went 6-7 since late January and are in the thick of the playoff race but are heading into the offseason as a team in turmoil.
Loss Bron in Los Angeles
What hurt the Lakers more, LeBron’s sore groin or AD’s trade request?
LeBron James knew he inherited a bad team when he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, even King James didn’t think it would be this bad. Once LeBron went down with a groin injury on Christmas, you could have almost predicted the rest of the season was going to be in disarray.
No one expected that the Lakers would end up quitting on LeBron in the wake of AD trade rumors. Essentially everyone except LeBron was on the chopping block. That killed team morale. You can’t blame them. But once the trade deadline passed and the Pelicans did not trade AD, you expected LeBron would get everyone on the same page and try to secure the #8 seed in the Western Conference. The upstart Sacramento Kings are trying to wrestle the final seed out of the hands of the LA Clippers. The Lakers were also near the bubble, but after a disastrous loss to the lowly Phoenix Suns last week, almost everyone has given up on the Lakers. Their playoff odds tanked.
And even superfan Snoopy Dogg lost faith in the Lakers after they lost four out of the last five games. After the ugly loss to the Suns, Snoop voiced his opinion in a NSFW tirade that includes flavorful language that only Snoop could conjure up.
Celtics No Fun Zone
The Boston Celtics were the team to beat in the Eastern Conference this season. Everyone expected the Celtics would battle the Golden State Warriors for an NBA title this June. Right now, the Celtics are battling themselves.
Marcus Morris described the current Celtics as a team that is not having any fun. They were winning at the time, yet lacked the same bond that he saw other teams on a nightly basis. The Celtics were a troubled team before the Anthony Davis drama. The trade request only made things worse for the Celtics.
The Celtics are 3-7 over their last 10 games, and 6-7 overall since the infamous request. The real effects will not come to fruition until the opening round of the playoffs. Kyrie Irving stated that the regular season was sort of insignificant compared to the postseason. LeBron’s attitude rubbed off on him when they played together in Cleveland. Irving can’t wait to shift into playoff mode. But will Gordon Hayward, Jayson Tatum, and the rest of his teammates be able to make the intense jump with him?
No one ever wants to see their name in the papers as potential trade bait. The media is extra crazy in New England, so the week leading up to the trade deadline was a chaotic circus. Even though it is over, the Celtics still seem lost as a team.
According to the South Point Casino and Sports Book in Las Vegas, the Boston Celtics are 12/1 odds to win the NBA Championship.