"To feel comfortable going through 82-game grind" - NBA analyst links Lakers’ recent signings to reported demands of Anthony Davis

One NBA analyst believes the recent Los Angeles Lakers signings were meant to help resident superstar Anthony Davis feel comfortable playing the full regular season in his preferred position of power forward.

According to ESPN's NBA reporter Dave McMenamin, the Lakers acquiring the services of Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood would allow Davis to play a lot of minutes at the four instead of the five, which was what the player envisioned when he decided to join the team in 2019.

The NBA analyst said:

“Ever since he joined the Lakers, Anthony Davis said he does not like playing the five that much and like playing a lot of minutes at the four… Last season [according to available data] he played 99% of his minutes at the five.”

He added:

“He made it known with the Lakers brass that he wanted to be part of the organization moving forward. I love my time with the Lakers.hThis was the time he was negotiating a contract extension which he signed this summer. ‘But give me some help at the five.’”

"This allows him to feel comfortable going through the 82-game grind"

McMenamin then went on to point out that Hayes and Wood should provide the same impact that centers JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard had on the game of Anthony Davis when the Lakers won the NBA title in 2020.

Last season, the Lakers had a slow start but picked things up after the All-Star break to earn a spot in the play-in tournament, where they were able to secure that seventh seed in the Western Conference.

In the playoff proper, the team continued its impressive run. It eliminated the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies 4-2, then did the same against the sixth-seeded and then-defending champions Golden State Warriors in the conference semifinals.

Unfortunately for Davis and co., they hit a wall in the Western Conference finals against the Denver Nuggets, failing to win a single game against the eventual NBA champions.

Anthony Davis finished the year with averages of 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.

'They understand AD and his work ethic has shown': Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul sounds off on Anthony Davis' whopping $186,000,000 extension

Anthony Davis signed a whopping $186-million contract extension to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers for another three years. It is something that his handlers said he fully deserves.

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul shared in a recent interview with Sportskeeda that while injuries remain an issue for their talent with the Lakers, his indefatigable work ethic cannot be denied.

Paul said:

“They understand AD and his work ethic has shown. He has some injuries, but it wasn’t due to him not working. It’s not like he came into camp overweight or showed any laziness. There were just fluke things. That happens in the game.”

Last season, Anthony Davis showed anew his ability to persist amid physical challenges. Following a 20-game absence last season because of his stressed right foot from December to January, Davis only missed three more games after his return.

Davis struggled with injuries after the Lakers' 2020 NBA title triumph, missing 78 out of a total 154 games across the next two seasons.

Anthony Davis’ best moments in the 2022-23 NBA season: