Is Anthony Davis healthy? The question hovers over the NBA again.
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You can never stop worrying about Anthony Davis. The experience of watching him play basketball rivals the trepidation of seeing an impetuous 16-year-old take the wheel. Everywhere he goes on the court, you wonder about his safety. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The marquee series of this unpredictable NBA postseason has advanced to a critical phase, and on cue, misfortune struck Davis, the marvelous but snake-bitten Los Angeles Lakers big man. He took an inadvertent elbow while tussling for position under the basket Wednesday night, resulting in a head injury that left him so woozy he needed a wheelchair briefly. Despite the scare, Coach Darvin Ham deemed Thursday that Davis is “probable” to play in Friday’s pivotal Game 6 against the Golden State Warriors in Los Angeles, noting his star is not in the concussion protocols. The Lakers lead the series 3-2 as health concerns continue to loom over these playoffs, which have endured far too many star injuries in the first two rounds.
It was a random blow delivered at the worst time, something that could happen to any player. Sadly, though, it’s just the latest on a long list of aches for Davis. While he hasn’t suffered a career-threatening injury, Davis has gone down so often — and for so many different reasons — that you gasp after nearly every collision. It’s hard to remember the last game of any significance in which Davis persisted without an anxious moment.
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Some athletes are breathtaking to witness. Some are so unlucky they make you hold your breath. Davis can do both — on the same possession.
Davis plays with an awkward agility. He was a teenager who experienced a late growth spurt, so he’s remarkably nimble at 6-foot-10 and 253 pounds. But he doesn’t seem to have the strength and balance to support the way he plays.
He falls. He flails. He grimaces. It infuriates the fanatics and hot-take provocateurs. But anyone who considers Davis soft or disinterested in maximizing his abilities is mischaracterizing him. He is an enthusiastic two-way player who competes and influences the game in multiple ways. He’s not as physical as Giannis Antetokounmpo, a superstar power forward of similar height and weight who plays with much more force. But in his own way, Davis plays as hard as the Greek Freak. They’re two of the game’s great switchable defensive anchors, and at his best, Davis is the more disruptive presence with his elite rim protection and overall awareness.
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Davis, 30, was drafted a year earlier than Antetokounmpo, and his 11 NBA seasons on top of his college national title and player of the year honors at Kentucky make him an easy Hall of Fame choice. But the injuries are contributing to a fair amount of “What if?” in his career, and though his birth certificate suggests he has several prime years left, you worry whether his body will cooperate.
Davis has played 660 career regular season games. Damian Lillard, another standout from the 2012 draft class, has played 769. And you can’t explain away the difference as Davis suffering more playoff wear and tear. Lillard has played in 61 postseason games. Even after helping the Lakers win a championship in 2020, Davis has played in 50.
Now in his 30s, Lillard has lost 77 games to injuries over the past two seasons, but he still has been available for 109 more games than Davis. Bradley Beal, a 2012 draftee who has missed plenty of time, has logged 35 more games.
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In 2021, Davis was a worthy honoree on the NBA’s 75th anniversary team. LeBron James has touted Davis recently as a star whose Lakers jersey will be retired one day. Davis’s career has been that good, even though he has missed at least 10 games in nine of 11 seasons and at least 15 games in all but four seasons. Since the Lakers emerged from the bubble with the Larry O’Brien Trophy, Davis has been available for just 132 of a possible 236 regular season games. This season, he missed 26, mostly because of a right foot injury. In his career, he also has missed major time managing ailments to his knees, ankles, ribs, wrist, back, thumb, thigh, shoulder, calf, adductor, quadriceps, heel, finger, hip and groin. His history of pain is an anatomy lesson.
To his credit, Davis always comes back with the best intentions. When he returns, he covers up all the Lakers’ flaws on defense, and despite bouts of offensive inconsistency, he makes an impact that allows the 38-year-old James to economize his energy and select the appropriate moments to attack. There’s no denying James is the heart of the Lakers, but Davis operates as the protective layer that helps it function properly.
James is one of the great closeout artists in sports. He has led 17 teams to 3-1 series leads; all of them have advanced. His sense of the moment is incredible, and he rarely fails to live up to it. But the Warriors, who have an 8-2 record under Coach Steve Kerr when facing elimination, seem to sleep easier when trailing. They trimmed the deficit to 3-2 on Wednesday, and with the pressure shifting to the Lakers to end the series at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, it will take more than James’s greatness to eliminate the four-time NBA champions.
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The basketball world against waits to see whether Davis can get up and play well. If he continues to avoid entering the concussion protocols, it’s either a miracle or a circumvention of textbook precaution. You just hope he’s okay.
If Davis indeed plays, scrutiny will go beyond the norm. It won’t be new to him, however. This is his life in basketball. He moves as he pleases on the court, but he probably needs a few “Danger Ahead” signs along his path.
He may have avoided a postseason-altering concussion, but with Davis, the next scary incident is always a play away. It’s a distressing experience. Despite all he has accomplished with his cheat-code talent, you’re left praying his body doesn’t cheat him.
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Source: The Washington Post
