Getty Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
On December 6, Anthony Davis had to leave the Los Angeles Lakers game against the Cleveland Cavaliers early due to flu-like symptoms.
When speaking to the media following the game, head coach Darvin Ham provided an update on Davis, noting how he had attempted to play through the bug to no avail.
Darvin Ham with an update on @AntDavis23. ⤵️
“It progressively got worse. His temperature got over 100, I believe it was 101, and some change. He said he was going to try and give it a go, which he did. But, just felt too weak, just too drained, dehydrated a little bit. But you know, it’s just that time of the season, in terms of the winter time, and the weather changes. And the change in climates, going from LA to these different places…He stayed around. They (the medical staff) put some fluids in him, gave him some meds, and tried to keep him as warm as possible,” Ham said.
Davis managed just eight minutes of playing time against the Cavaliers but still managed to secure three rebounds and dish out two assists, despite him being under the weather and struggling to get up and down the court.
Davis has Become the Lakers Leading Star
Over the past month, Davis has positioned himself to be the Lakers’ leading star, moving in front of 37-year-old LeBron James within the team’s offensive pecking order while putting up some MVP-Caliber numbers.
Speaking to the media on December 4, shortly after Davis had dropped 55 points against the Washington Wizards, Ham spoke about a shift in mindset from the superstar big man, noting how he was ready to take over the mantle as Los Angeles’ best player.
“He [AD] wants to be that guy for the team… I’m just thrilled by the way he’s been playing.” Darvin Ham on @AntDavis23‘s performance.
“I’ve been putting AD’s name on it, since day one. And it does help Bron, it allows him to be more efficient with his energy, more efficient with his workload. There are times where again, we can go through AD and just feed AD, feed AD, feed AD, and we’re not worried about LeBron having to be a world-beater or trying to make plays through three or four people. And Russ is in the same boat, allowing him to be able to play more freer.
AD, he wants it. He wants to be that guy. He wants to be the guy for the team. And, I think it’s beautiful to watch because his teammates, they’re encouraging him, they’re trying to give him the ball,” Ham said.
Over his last 10 games, Davis is averaging 31.9 points, 14.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.6 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 64.8% from the field, 45.5% from deep, and 86.3% from the free-throw line.
Ham Wants Lakers to Develop Killer Instinct
After a slow start to the season, the Lakers have begun stringing wins together – with the exception of their loss to Cleveland, of course. When speaking to the media on December 2, Ham shared that he has implored his team to become more aggressive on a nightly basis in the hopes that it can help them continue climbing the Western Conference rankings toward a guaranteed playoff place.
“It was awesome to see everybody coming together and competing at that level against that team.” Darvin Ham with a few takeaways from tonight’s #LakeShow win.
“Just everybody being engaged. And again, this can’t just be a one-game thing. It’s easy to get up the Bucks. It’s easy to get up for the Celtics. It’s easy to get up for Golden State. You know this is something we have to do every time we step on the floor. And again, it’s not about who we’re playing, it’s how do we want to represent ourselves as the Los Angeles Lakers,” Ham said.
The Lakers currently sit 13th in the Western Conference, two games behind the 10th-placed Golden State Warriors, and will be hoping to close the gap in the coming weeks. Los Angeles will be back in action on December 9 when they face off against the Philadelphia 76ers, and will likely be hoping Davis has recovered from his illness in time to participate against Joel Embiid.