LA Sports Hub
Fansided

Should The Lakers Re-Sign Ed Davis?

By Connor Renfro

facebooktwitterreddit

Ed Davis was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers in free-agency this past off-season to a 2-year, $2 million contract with a player option for the second year. Davis has performed well in an expanded role this season in L.A., averaging 7.5 rebounds per-game, and 8.4 points per-game on 61% shooting.

Good, solid numbers, though not exactly cause enough for the Lakers to jump at the opportunity to sign him should he opt out of his current deal.

Though Davis’ stats don’t jump off the page, his true value lies beyond the stat-sheet, particularly on the defensive end. Davis excels in low-post defense and isn’t afraid to get physical, even with the NBA’s most punishing big-men.

Davis’s tough play translates also to his rebounding, where he will simply out-muscle other players to the ball. His energy and grit can be contagious if paired with the right teammates. For example, Davis seems to play well offensively when running the pick and roll with point-guard Jeremy Lin, who has a knack for finding Davis after drawing his man off the screen.

More from LA Sports Hub

These kinds of partnerships are where Davis’s offensive ability lie, which doesn’t seem to fit well with the isolation-centered design with Byron Scott at the helm.

While Davis is a high energy player, his purpose on a team like the Lakers seems blurred, as energy players don’t seem to be much use when surrounded by a cesspool of talent — the effort won’t matter as long as the team is simply no good.

That being said, Davis would likely be best served suiting up for a contender next season.

Though his statistics will likely drop off (should he find his way onto a championship-caliber roster), his rough defense and high effort would be complimented by a stable of talented players who can finish the job when Davis muscles his way down low for an offensive rebound or comes up with a hard-fought defensive stop on a low-post threat.

In short, Davis would be good for the Lakers, but the Lakers wouldn’t be very good for Davis.

More from Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers would be wise to try to re-sign Davis after their more important matters have been tended to this summer —  pursuing a high-profile, superstar player in an attempt to jump-start their rebuilding phase, or even give Kobe Bryant one more shot at the playoffs. Then begins the search for diamonds in the rough after the storm of the free-agent class has passed.

Perhaps Davis is still available then, but the odds are Davis won’t settle for quite what he did last summer.

Another scenario would be this: Davis opts in to the final year of his deal, perhaps hoping to cash-in with a larger deal when the salary cap is set to explode in 2016.

Bottom Line: Davis would be better off famous than a Laker

This could work out quite well for the Lakers should it come to fruition. Davis would be playing on a cheap, expiring contract that could be used as a chip on the trade market. If the Lakers have any interest in retaining him however, he could serve as a defensive-minded whisper in the ear of the offensively-gifted Julius Randle, who will be coming off of an ACL tear next season and could use some guidance, especially on the less-glamorous end of the floor.

The mentoring role was supposed to be filled by Carlos Boozer, but with the aforementioned injury, Randle can do little in the way of learning this year.

Ed Davis would be nothing but good for the Lakers moving forward, but if I were Ed, I would skip town at the first chance to play for a serious contender, where my efforts might not go unrewarded as often as they do in L.A.

Home/Los Angeles Lakers