Since the NBA went on lockdown, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has stayed relatively quiet. Now that the team is back at practice, he had a chance to talk to the media for the first time in a long time. Due to the unprecedented nature of the suspension in play, it’s anybody’s guess how teams might look after taking a few months off.
Davis doesn’t think the Lakers are going to miss a beat.
“I think it’s kind of the same,” Davis said about Lakers’ title chances, per Mike Trudell. “Obviously we’ll miss [Avery Bradley], but we have guys that are healthy, guys that are ready to go. Actually I think our chances are higher because we’re all rested. It’s going to be who wants it more.”
The loss of Bradley is a blow, but as long as the Lakers have Davis and LeBron James, they’re going to compete with any team in the NBA. It’s hard to know for sure if the Lakers are title favorites but it’s hard to imagine they won’t be among the last teams left in the playoffs race.
Davis Talks Health
While Davis has been one of the most consistently dominant players in the NBA, he’s often been hampered by injuries. Though he didn’t miss a lot of games before the NBA suspension, he definitely got dinged up on a few occasions and has suffered bad injuries in the past. That could mean this suspension of play is a blessing in disguise for the big man. In fact, he told reporters that he’s 100% healthy at the moment.
“[The suspension of play has] given me a chance to let my body recover … let everything heal, get back to like how I was at the beginning of the year,” Davis said.
Davis should have very fresh legs heading back into action but it’s also hard to know how his body will react after being off for so long. His ability to stay healthy throughout the playoffs will have to be something for the Lakers to watch.
AD has missed 8 games with: sore right shoulder (1); ankle sprain (1); gluteus maximus contusion (5); right knee soreness (1). He said the hiatus has “given me a chance to let my body recover … let everything heal, get back to like how I was at the beginning of the year.”
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Davis Addresses Playing Without Fans
The Lakers should be among the teams most hurt by every being played in Orlando without fans. They have one of the best homecourt advantages in the NBA and would’ve played a lot of home games in the playoffs. Plus, no fans will be allowed at games, which should make things very different.
“It’s going to be more of a mental thing than anything,” Davis said about playing without fans. “If you’re having a bad game, there’s not going to be fans there to get you going. As we say on the team, you gotta bring your own energy … we’re motivated as a team, and self-motivated to win.”
At the end of the day, the best team is going to win and the lack of fans shouldn’t affect that too much. It is a disappointment for the Lakers but they’ve still got a very talented team and shouldn’t be too negatively affected by the lack of fans.
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Anthony Davis Makes Big Claim About Lakers’ Title Hopes, Talks Health