Is Anthony Davis playing tonight? Exploring Lakers superstar's availability vs Suns | 2024 NBA preseason

Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers head to Arizona to take on the Phoenix Suns for their upcoming preseason game at the Footprint Center on Thursday (Oct. 17). The Lakers have just one win in their four games so far. They played the Suns earlier, going down 118-114 despite four of their starters and Max Christie propping up decent numbers.

With JJ Redick opting to play his starters key minutes, Davis is expected to take the floor against Phoenix. He had 17 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes when the two teams last met. The big is averaging 17.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game this preseason in 22 minutes. Expect the playing time to be around the same mark as LA looks to execute its plans on offense.

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Anthony Davis comes off solid outing against Golden State Warriors ahead of Suns' preseason clash

Anthony Davis dropped 24 points on 10-14 shooting from the field and 4-5 from the free-throw line along with 12 rebounds, two assists and a block during the Lakers' 111-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors. While the result may have been a dampener, LA will feel good about Davis showing no signs of struggle or health issues.

With the Lakers looking to add a backup center, Davis will slot back to his preferred power forward position, and that could mean LA fielding two bigs of which one of them comes in as a versatile two-way player. Davis has been one of the best defensive players in the league, and should he remain healthy, the Purple and Gold will be a formidable unit on that front.

Earlier, Redick spoke about Davis being the 'hub of LA's offense' and has given glimpses of how the side would make sure to get the ball in Davis' hands as often as possible to stack up their offense. That move has worked in patches although it stagnated against Golden State. However, with the preseason games being platforms to fine-tune strategies and execution, the Lakers will not sweat over the losses accrued so far.

The Lakers have championship aspirations under their first-year coach JJ Redick, and much of their success depends on their combo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. Despite boasting of two of the best NBA players on their side, the Lakers will need more depth if they need to get to their objective.