"The elephant in the room for the Lakers is a healthy Anthony Davis" - NBA analyst raises concern over the availability of Anthony Davis, advises Lakers to add more depth to the roster

Since winning the 2019-2020 NBA championship, Anthony Davis has played in just 76 out of a possible 154 games. The Los Angeles Lakers have also depleted much of their depth, in large part to add Russell Westbrook, a move that has yet to pay off for the franchise.

Former NBA player turned analyst Jalen Rose believes that Davis' health will determine how the season turns out due to the Lakers' lack of depth.

Rose addressed the matter on his show "Jalen & Jacoby." Rose said:

"The elephant in the room for the Lakers is a healthy Anthony Davis. We talked about it with Kawhi. See, the Clippers have the kind of depth that can supplement him not playing 70 games.

"The Warriors have now built that equity. The Lakers don't have that luxury. They're going to need Anthony Davis to play the majority of the regular season games."

Rose added:

"Let me tell you what happens if he doesnt. That means a lower seed and a lower seed in the West likely means a first round exit so it's important that they could try to add to the roster.

"Of course, it's great to see Toscano-Anderson catching lobs, but Anthony Davis' games played is the number one thing you should be looking for if you're watching the Lakers."

It is no surprise that Rose believes that Davis' health is key to the Lakers' season. The team won the NBA championship when their star big man was last healthy for a full season.

In his three years with the Lakers, the team was 75-33 when both Davis and LeBron James take the court. They are only 52-65 when one of their stars is not available. When Davis played they were 86-52, however, they were 41-46 without him.

Watch Jalen Rose's comments on the Lakers below:

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Can Anthony Davis remain healthy enough to become the Lakers top option?

In his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis led the team in scoring despite taking fewer shots than co-star LeBron James. That trend continued in the postseason as the Lakers won the NBA championship. With Davis healthy entering the 2022-2023, the Lakers are looking for him to become the top option.

Davis' health remains the single biggest driving factor for the Lakers. Prior to his injury in the first-round of the 2020-2021 postseason, the Lakers had a 2-1 series lead over the Phoenix Suns. The Suns, however, won the Western Conference.

While Davis seems ready for the challenge of being the top option, he must remain on the court for the Lakers to be successful.