As the Los Angeles Lakers look to move on from Russell Westbrook, all eyes are on Anthony Davis as he prepares to enter his 11th season in the NBA.
Last season, and many seasons in the past, he has struggled to stay on the floor and has been in questionable shape on more than one occasion.
So when a report came out this summer that AD hadn’t shot a basketball in weeks, fans naturally freaked out as they begged him to put in some work on his game.
Many expected Davis to take over as the best player on the Lakers the following season, but he hasn’t even come close. Injuries have played a part, of course, but AD’s scoring averages the last two seasons have been the lowest since his first two seasons in the league. New coach Darvin Ham stated that the Lakers need Davis to be consistent and healthy as he is key to their success, and he might not be all that happy after AD recently revealed that he hasn’t shot a basketball in a while.
“I haven’t shot a basketball since probably April 5th,” Davis said.
Obviously, it wasn’t a good sign for the Lakers, as they’ll need Davis at the top of his game if they want to win a ring.
Fortunately, those same criticisms from fans may have sparked the L.A. big man with some major motivation.
Some potential good news for the aforementioned Lakers and the soon-to-be-extension-eligible James: Anthony Davis’ surprising disclosure in mid-June that he hadn’t shot a basketball since early April might have been a blessing in disguise. Davis, by all accounts, has been working out with increased diligence ever since his comments generated a wave of strong criticism (h/t Lakers Nation).
Davis has apparently been spending much more time in the gym since getting all that slack earlier this summer. While not intentional, Lakers fans may be the ones to credit for helping Davis start the season ready to go.
During 40 games in the 2021-22 campaign, he averaged 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 53% shooting.
