When healthy, Anthony Davis is a top-5 player in the NBA. He can play lockdown defense in the paint, shut down the perimeter, and efficiently score from all three levels. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers have barely enjoyed that version of him.
Davis played a pivotal role in leading them to the NBA championship in the bubble. But he hasn’t been on the floor too often in every other season he’s been in Los Angeles, so he’s kind of lost some credibility among the fan base.
So, even though his skill set has never been put in question, Lakers coach Darvin Ham admits that managing his body is going to be a major point of emphasis for the team throughout the season.
NBA News: Darvin Ham Admits He’s Concerned About Anthony Davis’ Health
“With AD, it’s about managing his body,” Ham said. “He has had various injuries throughout the years and more so over the last couple of years, some of them are just fluke injuries that are out of his control.”
“Like I mentioned in the pre-game presser, those are things that are a part of the game,” the coach added. “My biggest focus for AD was to make sure he gets through the summer healthy, making sure he is making his body stronger, and getting him in the best physical condition for 82 games of basketball and beyond. His basketball skill set was the last thing I was worried about. I knew that once we got in with the way we prepare, do individual, combo, and group workouts, what I put together with my staff, I knew he’d be fine.”
Davis should take a step forward and lead the team in the post-LeBron James era, but he needs to be on the floor to do that. Hopefully, this will be the year he finally puts those injury woes behind him.
