Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis.
It’s been a very quiet offseason for Anthony Davis. The Los Angeles Lakers have been very busy but their star big man hasn’t appeared to be involved much. We’ve seen LeBron James hanging out with Russell Westbrook while also welcoming all the new players. Davis hasn’t even posted anything about his new teammates yet.
The hope will be that he’s hyper-focused on returning to form after a wildly disappointing season. Fortunately, it looks like he has been putting in work. According to a new photo of Davis, that’s been circulating online, the big man looks like he’s in great shape.
Anthony Davis sighting in San Diego 👀
Looks like he’s been in the gym a lot this off-season 💪
Now, it’s hard to tell for sure from a blurry photo but Davis does look stronger. He’s never been a very muscular player but he has always been thin. It’s not a huge transformation but it does look like he’s packing on some muscle. A strong and motivated Davis could dominate the NBA this season.
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Ex-Player Recently Said That Davis Has Been Working Hard
Westbrook and LeBron workout videos are all over the internet right now. Those two superstars are clearly motivated for the season. Davis has chosen a different approach. He’s not showing anything this offseason. However, former player Kendrick Perkins recently said that the big man has been working.
“I’m predicting right now that he is going to be the one to win MVP next season,” Perkins said on ESPN’s The Jump last month. “He sees all the slander. He’s hearing everything about Giannis. He’s very quiet at the moment. And from what I’m hearing, he’s working his tail off behind the scenes. Lakers got to do something but I would not panic if I’m a Lakers fan.”
Last offseason was a bit odd for Davis. The Lakers had a shortened offseason due to their championship run and he was technically a free agent. Davis took his time signing with Los Angeles and missed time during training camp. It’s fair to question how good of shape he was in at the start of last season. That could’ve played a role in why he couldn’t stay healthy. It appears he’s not going to let himself show up out of shape again.
Are People Sleeping on Davis?
After the Lakers’ recent championship run, opinions of Davis were at an all-time high. It hasn’t even been a full year since he hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy but opinions of him have soured quickly. There’s no arguing that he had a bad season but it seems premature to suggest that he’s no longer a top-10 player.
When Davis is firing on all cylinders, he may even be a top-five player. He’s only 28-years-old and should just be entering his prime. To suggest that he’s no longer one of the NBA’s elite players would be a mistake. He’s allowed to have one bad season. That said, he does need to play much better this season. If he has two bad years in a row, that will seriously hurt his reputation.
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