- NBA star Anthony Davis wants to make the Los Angeles Lakers strong once more
- Davis is still one of the best defensemen in the NBA
- Anthony Davies continues to see Lakers as ‘outsiders’
For Anthony Davis It’s his fourth year with the Los Angeles Lakers and it’s safe to say it’s going to be the most significant. Year one ended in a title, year two ended in a first round elimination, and year three was a total disaster.
He hasn’t seen a slide like this since Davis’s final years in New Orleans. The Lakers rise and fall not only with Davis’s game but also with his sheer presence.
Davis played all 21 postseason games for the Lakers in the Orlando Bubble. He scored an average of 27.7 points. In 2021, LA led 2-1 over Phoenix when Davis retired in Game 4 with a groin injury. Three games later, the Lakers went home. Davis missed more than half of last season with foot and knee injuries. Los Angeles missed the playoffs.
Anthony Davis: “I’m 100 percent healthy”
“A guy fell on my knee and landed on my foot,” explains Davis. “The good thing for me is that following the doctors look at it, they say it might have been ten times worse.”
Davis played a total of 62 games in the 2019-20 season shortened by the pandemic. The year before that it was 56. In the two years that followed he played a total of 76 games for the Los Angeles Lakers.
In June, Davis made headlines when he revealed he hadn’t thrown a basketball in months. Davis insists his body just needs time to heal, including a sore right wrist that he says contributed to the drop in his shot rate. “I never lost confidence in my throw,” Davis says. In the extended offseason, Davis says, he feels better than he has in years. “I’m 100 percent healthy. I feel great.”
Lakers coach Darvin Ham: “He’s the biggest part of our success”
The expectations of the Lakers are modest. They are not considered title contenders. Many predictions see her fighting for a place in the playoffs. ESPN’s statistical model puts the Lakers at 36.8 wins — regarding as many as the Kings and Trail Blazers. Russell Westbrook is still part of the team until Los Angeles can raise the necessary draft capital to get rid of him.
A healthy Davis might change that, however. “He’s the biggest part of our success,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham. The Lakers were 11-10 when Davis, Westbrook and LeBron James played together last season.
“We didn’t know how good we might be,” Davis says, “because we didn’t make a lot of plays together.” Davis quickly became friends with Ham and has held the Lakers’ new coach and detailed talks regarding the team’s defense.
Anthony Davis wants to return to the NBA elite
“None of this works,” explains Ham, “if he’s not playing on all cylinders.” LA had a top-three defense in each of Davis’ first two seasons. Last season, in which Davis was repeatedly absent, the Lakers fell to 21st place.
“Since I’m a defensive guy, he asks me questions,” Davis said. “Because I’m used to doing things a certain way. Or he would ask me, ‘What do you think regarding it? How did you do it? What are you comfortable with?’ That was sort of the basis of our conversations, and it was great.” Ham demands for the new season: “We should be one of the best defensive teams.”
For Davis, a strong season might not only inspire the Lakers. It would also give him back his place in the NBA elite. Across the league, opinion of Davis remains high. “He’s damn talented,” says a manager from a rival team. However, conversations often revolve around burgeoning concerns regarding his condition and health.
Davis steps on the brakes on euphoria with the LA Lakers
“Two things I saw last season,” said a Western Conference assistant coach. “He wasn’t in form and he mightn’t score. When he’s in form he’s the same player we saw two years ago. He was more dominant than any other player in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo was in this one Voted Defensive Player of the Year last season but there was no better defender than AD. I really believe he can return to that performance.”
The manager added: “He has to play through the little things. He should just do it to prove something. I understand why the focus is on the injuries. But when he has a 70-game season, the injury vulnerability is gone. “
For his part, Davis has embraced the skepticism. He refers to the Lakers as “outsiders” this season. He told ESPN that the team will play with some confidence. His goal is to play all 82 games or at least be physically available. Davis believes the Lakers will exceed expectations. If he does, so can they.
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