Anthony Davis has made it clear that he’s not a huge fan of playing center, which is a mindset Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson thinks he has to change.
The sentiment from Davis is something he established after arriving in Los Angeles.
“I like playing the 4. I’m not even going to sugarcoat it. I like playing the 4,” Davis told Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times in 2019. “I don’t really like playing the 5.”
Johnson took a shot at 6-foot-10, eight-time All-Star for not wanting to play center while on ESPN’s KJZ and broke down what he would do differently with both Davis and James.
“Give LeBron and A.D. a shooter,” Johnson said. “And also, tell A.D. he’s going to have to play more center now. You can’t allow him to say, ‘Hey man I don’t want to play center.’ No, no, no, no, no. First of all you’re with the Lakers and we’re trying to win. And for me, I would move LeBron back down, we’re asking him to do too much. You can’t ask LeBron to be the point guard. That means you’re working hard, you’re bringing the ball up, getting everybody into the offense, so when can LeBron rest? You have to understand we want LeBron fresh for the playoffs. So let somebody else bring it to him.”
Anthony Davis on Break: ‘I’ve Been Doing Nothing’
Regardless of what position Davis logs minutes at next season, the key for him is to get healthy. Davis suffered injuries to his Achilles, calf and groin, which ultimatley had him watching the Lakers’ final game from the sideline.
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Davis is expected to be ready for the start of next season, but for now, he’s taking it easy.
“What’s it been, about three weeks since the last game? Something like that since Game 6. I’ve been doing nothing, just rehabbing and getting the groin right, playing video games,” Davis said while being interviewed during halftime of the Sparks game. “I’ve really been doing nothing. I mean, like you said, we’re starting to open up now, so it’s not much that you really can do. But I’m still a home body anyway so I stay in the house anyway just playing video games, relaxing with the family, spending some time with my daughter. I have a son on the way so I’m waiting on that, and just trying to stay active and get ready for next season.”
Anthony Davis Says Groin ‘Feels Good’
The downtime Davis is needing right now speaks to the seriousness of the injury he suffered and tried to play through. However, a good note was what Davis said while streaming video games on Twitch.
“I feel good though, chat. Groin feels real good,” Davis said. “Trust me, we’re going to be ready for next year. We’re going to be right. We’re going to be right!”
“I feel good tho, chat. Groin feels real good. Trust me, we’re going to be ready for next year. We’re going to be right. We’re going to be RIGHT!”
– A.D. on his groin injury via Twitch
Davis was named an All-Star last season, averaging 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. The Lakers are hoping he can return to his All-NBA form next season and help lead the team to their 18th championship.
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Anthony Davis Called Out by Lakers Legend