Getty Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis.
The NBA season just barely ended but it’s about to start right back up. Due to the previous season getting delayed because of COVID-19, the league wants to get back on their normal schedule and the way they’re doing that is by sacrificing the offseason. That shouldn’t affect over half the NBA all that much but it’s not great news for the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat.
The two teams that played in the NBA Finals only get 71 days between the last game they played and the start of the next season. That’s the shortest offseason in recorded sports history. Anthony Davis has been pretty quiet since the end of the season but he commented on the news and seems rather confused.
Davis should have every right to be confused and annoyed. He was able to make it through this past season without suffering a significant injury but he was really hobbled up towards the end of the NBA Finals. Couple that with the fact that he’s had injury issues throughout his career and a short offseason seems like a recipe for disaster. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he got some extra time off throughout the season.
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Davis Is Staying in Los Angeles, Right?
Though Davis is set to hit free agency, everybody is operating under the idea that he intends to re-sign. The Athletic’s Sham Charania reported shortly after the season ended that the big man is planning to re-sign. If he tested free agency, he’d be one of the most sought after players in years.
Luckily for the Lakers, he doesn’t appear to be interested in seeing what’s out there. He’s taking his time signing a new contract but the deal should be done soon. Free agency begins on November 20th and players can start signing on November 22nd. With this news, Davis will probably ink his new contract very soon.
Frank Vogel Sounds off on Shortened Offseason
While Lakers players might not love how quickly they’re going to have to start playing again, it was inevitable. There was too much money at stake for the NBA to delay things any longer. Plus, there were teams that didn’t even go to the bubble and have had a lot of time off. Lakers head coach Frank Vogel doesn’t seem too worried about the quick turnaround.
“The 72-game season we’re about to endure is something that we feel very good about, Vogel said Tuesday. “Obviously, it’s been a super quick turnaround for our team. The shortest offseason in the history of the NBA. But this is a team that embraces challenges and this is just the next challenge in line for us. The opportunity to dive in to all the challenges of trying to repeat as an NBA champion that myself, my staff, and our front office is really looking forward to. Our players are ready to go.”
“It’s been a super quick turnaround for our team but this is a team that embraces challenges…” Frank Vogel reacts to the December 22nd start date for the upcoming NBA season. #Lakers
The season will likely be unorthodox for the Lakers. They might have to embrace a little bit of load management, which is something that they’ve been against. However, this season is very different so Los Angeles should be open to changing some things.
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Lakers’ Anthony Davis Shares Concerning Reaction to Short Offseason