Getty Lakers superstar Anthony Davis on November 22
There have only been roughly 5,000 players who have been lucky enough to make it to the NBA, so everyone who makes it there is special. But every so often, certain players come around and make you pay closer attention to their games than you would other players. Those players are called unicorns, and Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is one of them.
This season, Davis has been on a tear, averaging 27.4 points, a career-high 12.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He is also shooting a career-high 59.4% from the field. Former Nets star Kenny Anderson likens Davis’ game to another ex-Nets star, big man Derrick Coleman.
“[Anthony Davis] is a young Derrick Coleman, and he is playing with one of the greatest players that ever played, LeBron James. He’s balling right now, and you get [Derrick Coleman], you know what I’m saying. The style of play, the shooting, the left or the right hand, the dunks, and all that. He is very difficult to guard, and so was [Derrick Coleman],” Anderson said in a recent interview with Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports.
Lakers F Anthony Davis is a “young Derrick Coleman” says @chibbs_1.
The NYC hoops icon checked in with @BallySports this week.
We also discussed how even though @SHAQ dunked on @44TheLegend in NJ, folks don’t mention that DC held his own!
Full chat ➡️ t.co/JQ4Msc6eZk
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Anthony Davis Updates Injury Status
When you talk about the most talented big men to play in the NBA, Davis is definitely in that conversation. He is a 7-footer, but his agility and athleticism allow him to move like a point guard. And his overwhelming strength gives him the ability to score at will in the paint. But the one knock on Davis has been his injury history because he has been unable to stay on the court consistently throughout his career.
This has also been the case for Davis this season. He has been out since December 16 with a stress injury in his right foot. To add insult to injury, the setback happened in the middle of one of the best statistical stretches of his career. On December 31, Davis spoke to reporters to update them on where he is in his injury recovery.
“When they were talking about surgery – well, I don’t like surgery. “I feel like if it can be avoided, then let’s avoid it. When that became an option, I wanted to make sure I get the best understanding for me because I’m the one who has to make the decision with that,” Davis said.
“It’s really just about pain. The pain is still there, I still feel it a little bit, but not as much as I did before. More like a two (on a scale from one to 10), trending down to one. I’ve been lifting, and lifting is fine. Everything I do in the weight room is fine. If I see that it’s healed properly, or enough where I can go start ramping up on the court, then we’ll start that process.”
Analyst Casts Doubt on Anthony Davis Hall of Fame Chances
Despite Davis being one of the most talented big men to ever play, it has not contributed to much on-court success. In his career, he only has four playoff appearances, and before he joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019, he had only one playoff series win. He also has never won the NBA MVP, scoring title, or Defensive Player of the Year award.
But still, many people expect Davis to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his career is over. But ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy is not in that number. During the telecast of the Lakers and Miami Heat game on January 4, Van Gundy said he was “not sure” if Davis would make it to the Hall his first time on the Ballot.
“Are you sure right now if he ended today, he’d be a Hall of Famer?” Van Gundy asked. “I’m not sure because of the injuries. He’s just…been unavailable so often. I think it’s hard to say that.”
If you missed it last night, Jeff Van Gundy isn’t sold on Anthony Davis being a Hall of Famer…
However, Davis is a member of the NBA 75 team, which only strengthens his Hall of Fame case.