In a rare occurrence, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to win a game without a superstar performance on Friday night, which was a perfect birthday present for Anthony Davis.
LeBron James remains out, so it was Davis manning the fort against the Toronto Raptors. While the Raptors did everything defensively to limit Davis, his teammates came through and carried him to another impressive victory.
It was quite the early birthday gift for Davis, who turned 30 on Mar. 11. While getting older might mean he’s slowing down, Darvin Ham believes that his star big man is going to remain as elite as ever.
“Turning 30 I think is a lot different for a big guy than it is for a small guy,” Ham said. “And you can see how the game is just so easy for him. The biggest thing for him is just being able to be available, play pain-free. We’ve seen time and time again, early on in the season and here recently, the type of level he can go to when he is locked in and he’s been locked in all year… Actually being around Bron has been helping him, just seeing how to prepare physical, how to lock in and be efficient whenever he’s in practice, on the game floor or whatever have you, the physical activity of it all.
“It gets harder and harder as you get older, so to have a guy like Bron next to him and learning from him and seeing the type of methods that he implements for him, just his whole package in terms of being prepared, again, not only to play, but the level they’re playing at. I see a really bright future for AD. These are the golden years in his early 30s for a big and I think you’ll see some fantastic basketball out of him. You’re already seeing that and I just think he’s gonna be able to sustain it more with the way he’s gonna be able to take care of his body from this point forward.”
Ham has had high praise for Davis the past couple of weeks because of how he’s been able to carry the load on both ends, even going so far as calling him “Wilt Davis” for his performances. Health remains the biggest question mark for Davis, but if he’s able to stay on the court there’s no doubt that he’ll remain one of the best players in the league.
Shaquille O’Neal clarifies comments about Anthony Davis falling off
Injuries have hurt Davis’s reputation around the NBA, with people like Shaquille O’Neal saying he’s fallen off. However, O’Neal clarified his comments and said that the Lakers’ success still falls on Davis’ shoulders.
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