“I do believe that AD would save them” – Skip Bayless believes return of Anthony Davis would elevate LA Lakers to a top 4 seed

Anthony Davis returned from injury Tuesday night, helping the LA Lakers to a 106-96 victory at the Brooklyn Nets.

In Wednesday’s episode of “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed,” analyst Skip Bayless talked about Los Angeles’ future now that Davis is back, saying:

“I do believe that AD would save them, as in elevating them to the fourth-best team.”

Will Anthony Davis bring the Lakers back on top

The Lakers (24-24) stand in eighth place in the Western Conference, six games behind the fourth-place Utah Jazz (30-18). After its offseason moves, Los Angeles was considered an immediate playoff contender. Instead, the Lakers struggled, with Anthony Davis' injury last month handicapping the team further.

After suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee Dec. 17, the Lakers said Davis would be out for at least four weeks. Having managed rehab well, he returned Tuesday.

Davis may have had only eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes, but he made a difference nonetheless. The first play of the game was an ally-oop from LeBron James to Davis, letting fans everywhere know who was back in the building.

Before his injury, Davis averaged 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 blocks in 27 games. Those statistics show how impactful Davis was offensively and defensively. Having him back should help Los Angeles.

On “Undisputed,” analyst Chris Broussard agreed with Skip Bayless, saying:

“If you mean by save by make them a viable contender, I will go there”

With 48 of 82 games played in the regular season, there remains a great amount of time for Los Angeles to turn things around.

James is averaging 29.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. He is also averaging a career-high 2.8 3-pointers per game, shooting 35.5% from deep. James is currently on an 18-game streak in which he's scored at least 25 points.

If Davis can bring the stats he was averaging before his injury, the Lakers might be able to climb their way back up the ladder. Bayless and Broussard seem to agree Los Angeles is capable of coming back, but can their chemistry flow well enough to complete the task?

James was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, fresh out of high school. Davis was the No. 1 pick in 2012 after winning a national championship in his one season at Kentucky.