Much of the chatter around the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason has followed Russell Westbrook’s fit and LeBron’s interest in Kyrie Irving. But as quiet as his game, Anthony Davis has gained notice among the headline-stealing Westbrook and James.
The Brow is coming off possibly his most disappointing in L.A. He averaged 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in just 40 games. The stats are strong, but the total games are not. Fans grew tired of Davis being in street clothes — he’s played in 58.4% of possible games as a Laker — with some blaming him for the lost season.
However, last year was unlike any other for Davis. He bulked up to play the five consistently, a position he’s usually waited to play for special occasions, and focused on getting stronger to avoid injury. He couldn’t avoid injury, but while on the floor, you still saw Davis’ greatness as a player.
Keeping Davis healthy elevates the Lakers’ chances of having success. Darvin Ham made it clear his staff will take care of the big man next season to ensure he’s healthy. Rob Pelinka has also expressed that Davis is having “one of the biggest offseasons of his career.”
Pelinka isn’t going to say otherwise, but it seems to be true as ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins predicts Davis will be the MVP next year, revealing that he has been up early to get in three workouts per day:
"Anthony Davis is a top-five talent right now. … I got Anthony Davis winning the MVP next season!"
—@KendrickPerkins ? pic.twitter.com/DkrSxImbDt
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 20, 2022
Perkins spent half the 2015-2016 season with Davis in New Orleans, which could offer a closer perspective on the big man’s potential.
This isn’t the first time Perkins has complimented Davis. Last year he said that when Davis is healthy he’s arguably the best player on both sides. Perkins’ teammate and NBA legend Kevin Garnett also recently motivated Davis to win next season’s MVP.
What’s interesting though is that Perkins revealed the Brow is starting workouts at 4 a.m. and doing three workouts a day. NBA trainer Chris Matthews AKA Lethal Shooter hinted at this when he posted that Davis begins shooting every day at 4:50 a.m. It’s a similar strategy to Kobe Bryant, who became notorious for his early morning work.
Davis had a rocky start to the offseason when he revealed in June he hadn’t touched a basketball in April. But, he looks locked in to prove his doubters wrong next season. For now, it’s not a question of will AD bounce back, but will he be able to stay on the floor consistently?
Lakers and Pacers have “re-engaged” on trade talks with no traction on Irving deal
A familiar name among possible Laker trades is Indiana Pacers guard Buddy Hield.
The shooter has been linked to the Purple and Gold since he was with the Sacramento Kings. A deal seemed to be finalized to acquire Hield last offseason before it was decided to trade for Westbrook.
Now, the Lakers are back dealing for Hield and talks have opened up again with the Pacers. Westbrook will almost certainly be included in the deal. Center Myles Turner could also come over in the trade, but nothing is set in stone yet.
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