The Los Angeles Lakers were without Anthony Davis against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a sore back, although there appears to be a larger issue looming for the star big man.
Russell Westbrook and LeBron James with chimed in on what Davis is dealing with and urged patience, alluding that it could be more than just a back issue that’s keeping him out.
“He has to do what’s best for his body. Do what’s best for his body and his mind. When his mind is gone then everything else will fall to the wayside. So he has to trust himself,” James told reporters after the 111-102 loss. “Yes he wants to play every game, yes he wants to be out there for our team, but he’s had a lot of bumps and bruises over the last few years so he has to trust himself, trust the staff and not put his body in harm’s way.”
Westbrook has been dealing with his own fair share of drama lately and also stressed that Davis needs to get his mind right before getting back on the court.
“AD is taking care of his body, which is most important and making sure his mind is in the right place, because I think that’s the most important part of any injury,” Westbrook said. “When he comes back, we’ll be ready to go and hopefully, that’s sooner than later.”
Davis Had Goal to Play All 82 Games for Lakers
Davis has never played in every game in his 10 seasons and has missed significant chunks of time in his last two. He’s appeared in just 76 games in the last two seasons combined and has stated his goal this year is to be available for the Lakers in every matchup.
“As much as I can, play all 82 [games], and then get back to the level of basketball that I know I’m capable of playing which is being elite and dominant,” Davis said told Spectrum Sports.
Davis dealt with a series of lower-body issues over the last two years, which includes a calf strain, Achilles tendonosis, a groin injury, a sprained MCL and a sprained foot. He also revealed that a wrist injury limited him last season.
“Last season, I had two injuries that you can’t really control. I mean, a guy fell into my knee, landed on the foot,” Davis said. “And the good thing for me is that the doctors after they looked at us, they could have been, like 10 times worse.”
Lakers Were Facing Supersized T-Wolves Frontcourt
The Lakers have not seemed overly concerned about his latest back issue, saying sidelining the eight-time All-Star was a precautionary move.
“Just getting out in front of it not wanting to put him into a make-or-break situation too early in the season, be it the fifth game we still have 77 left to play,” head coach Darvin Ham said prior to taking on Minnesota.
There have been concerns about Davis being more likely to suffer an injury playing more center and he would have had a tough matchup against Minnesota. The Timberwolves run out Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns. With the Lakers going small, the duo feasted, combining for 43 points and 29 rebounds.
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Lakers Hint at Larger Issue for Anthony Davis After Missed Game