Anthony Davis has been seen as frail, as fans panic every time he hits the deck. It turns out that Davis is almost as durable as Miami Heat Jimmy Butler.
Although Jimmy is not the poster boy for a healthy player, he is seen to be “tougher” than Davis. But Butler and Davis have missed almost the same number of games in the last three seasons.
According to former NBA coach and current analyst Stan Van Gundy, Davis and Butler have missed an almost identical number of games in the last three seasons.
https://twitter.com/realStanVG/status/1472922469405241344
“Anthony Davis has missed 49 games for the Lakers over the past 3 seasons. Jimmy Butler has missed 48 games for the Heat in the same time frame.”
Butler joined the Miami Heat before the start of the 2019-20 season and has been with them ever since. In that period, he has played 128 games.
The veteran forward was crucial in the 2020 campaign, leading them to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, they lost to Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers.
So far this season, Butler has featured in only 18 games for the Heat and is currently out due to a tailbone injury. In his absence, the Heat holds a 7-6 record and are currently ranked 5th in the Eastern Conference standings.
The success of the Lakers depends a lot on Davis. If Davis is playing his best, the Lakers will be the team to beat. Unfortunately, that has not been the case, as fans have called him out for losing his aggressiveness after winning a championship.
Hall of Famer Charles Barkley has high hopes for Davis and believes he can be a top-five player, but he is currently not performing at the level many expect him to perform at.
Last season was a struggle for Davis as he feature in only 36 games for the Lakers and was unavailable to help them through the first round of the 2021 playoffs against the Phoenix Suns.
Davis missed only three games for the Lakers before hurting his knee in the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 17. As a result, he will be sidelined for 4-6 weeks.
