"What I call 'Six Flags'" - Stephen A. Smith raises eyebrows at Anthony Davis' availability for Lakers to be title contenders

Many have criticized Anthony Davis for constantly getting himself injured, which hinders him and the LA Lakers from being a real threat in the West. The latest to criticize him is Stephen A. Smith, who isn't sure if he can still consider the All-Star big man a superstar.

Last season, Davis was able to play 56 games for the Lakers, 16 more games than his 2021-22 campaign. Still, that wasn't enough as fans weren't as impressed with his lack of availability for the team last season. Injuries have started to hurt his reputation and many are tired of seeing him on the sidelines and not playing on the court.

On ESPN's First Take, Smith addressed the availability issue of AD.

"Is Anthony Davis going to be a superstar or is he gonna be what I call 'Six Flags'?" Smith said.

"He shows up one game, drops 40, the next game he's missing in action. Shows up another game, drops 35, the next game he's missing in action. He struggled throughout the postseason to put back-to-back games together and they weren't back-to-back nights," he added. "He had breaks in between games and still isn't sure the next game. He's in uniform and there was still missing reports out for him, on every other game, it seemed like."

Smith wants the big man to thrive and help the Lakers beat their conference rivals.

"He can't be that," Smith said. "In order to beat the likes of the Phoenix Suns, the Denver Nuggets, those two teams just have the name of feud. The [LA] Clippers even. Cause when they're healthy they have the Lakers' number. In order to pull that off, Anthony Davis has to be a superstar on a consistent basis."

The Lakers have a great group this season but that could only work out if they would be able to play with a healthy Davis. With the eight-time All-Star healthy, the team could make some noise in the season.

You might also be interested in reading this: Watch: D'Angelo Russell throws a running lob to Anthony Davis to open scoring for the Lakers

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Anthony Davis' playmaking has helped the Lakers in the preseason

Playmaking is a huge aspect of the game of basketball that has helped many teams win. For the Lakers, they've started to recognize the playmaking abilities of Davis, who's primarily known as a shot blocker. His teammate, Austin Reaves, addressed how the All-Star big has improved as a passer.

"I don’t want to give AD credit [for] passing the ball," Austin Reaves said. "… He’s a good passer. He can actually do it. I hate to say it, but AD can do everything. That’s why he’s one of the most talented guys in the league."

This could be the season where fans will start to see Davis facilitate more for his teammates from the post.