- NBA star Anthony Davis wants to make the Los Angeles Lakers strong again
- Davis is still one of the best defenders in the NBA
- Anthony Davies continues to see Lakers as “strangers”
For Antonio Davis It is his fourth year with the Los Angeles Lakers and he is sure it will be the most significant. Year one ended with a title, year two ended with a first-round elimination, and year three was a total disaster.
He hadn’t seen a slide like this since Davis’s final years in New Orleans. The Lakers rise and fall not only with Davis’ play, but also with the pure presence of him.
Davis played all 21 post-season games for the Lakers in the Orlando bubble. He averaged 27.7 points. In 2021, Los Angeles was 2-1 ahead of Phoenix when Davis retired in Game 4 with a groin injury. Three games later, the Lakers returned home. Davis missed more than half of last season due to foot and knee injuries. Los Angeles missed the playoffs.
Anthony Davis: “I’m 100% healthy”
“A boy fell to his knees and landed on my foot,” explains Davis. “The good thing for me is that after the doctors examined it, they said it could have been ten times worse.”
Davis played a total of 62 games in the 2019-20 season shortened by the pandemic. The previous year there were 56. Over the next two years 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 that his body just needs time to heal, including a pain in his right wrist which he says contributed to the drop in his firing rate. “I’ve never lost faith in my launch,” says Davis. In the long offseason, Davis says, he feels better than he has in years. “I’m 100 percent healthy. I feel great.”
Lakers manager Darvin Ham: “It’s the most important part of our success”
The Lakers’ expectations 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, about as much as the Kings and Trail Blazers. Russell Westbrook is still part of the team until Los Angeles can raise the capital needed to get rid of him.
However, a healthy Davis could change that. “It’s the most important part of our success,” said Lakers manager Darvin Ham. The Lakers were 11-10 when Davis, Westbrook and LeBron James played together last season.
“We didn’t know how good we could be,” says Davis, “because we didn’t do many shows together.” Davis quickly became friends with Ham and held the new Lakers manager and detailed talks about the team’s defense.
Anthony Davis wants to return to the NBA elite
“None of this works,” explains Ham, “if it’s not playing on all cylinders.” LA had one of the top three defenses in each of Davis’ first two seasons. Last season, in which Davis was absent several times, the Lakers dropped 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? How did you do it? What are you comfortable with?’ This was sort of a basis for our conversations, and it was great. ” Ham asks for the new season: “We should be one of the best defensive teams”.
For Davis, a strong season couldn’t just inspire the Lakers. It would also give him back his place in the NBA elite. Across the league, Davis’s opinion remains high. “He’s got a damn talent,” says a manager of a rival team. However, conversations often revolve around growing concerns about her condition and his health.
Davis curbs euphoria with the LA Lakers
“Two things I saw last season,” said a Western Conference assistant coach. “He was not in shape and could not score. When he is in shape he is the same player we saw two years ago. He was more dominant than any other player in the league. Giannis Antetokounmpo was in this Voted Defensive Player of last year but not there was better defender than AD. I really think he can get back to that performance. “
The coach added: “He has to play through the little things. He should just do it to prove something. I understand why the focus is on injuries. But when he has a 70-game season, the injury vulnerability is gone.”
For his part, Davis embraced 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, they can too.
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