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LA Lakers superstar Anthony Davis made startling comments earlier in the summer when he announced that he had not touched a basketball since April 5th. The superstar had a shortened season, missing more than half the games due to various injuries.
However, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, Davis has ramped up his workouts since receiving immense backlash for his comments. AD's conditioning and shooting let him down during the 2021-22 NBA season. There is a sense of hope that fans could see the best of Davis in the upcoming season.
"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.
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"Davis, by all accounts, has been working out with increased diligence ever since his comments generated a wave of strong criticism," Stein wrote.
During the 2021-22 season for the LA Lakers, Anthony Davis averaged 23.2 points and 9.9 rebounds on better than 53% shooting from the field. However, he shot a paltry 18.6% from the perimeter and less than 72% from the free throw line.
While these numbers aren't horrible, what they lack is aggression from AD. He took less than 18 shots per game. The franchise did not even make the Play-In tournament after coming into the season with championship aspirations.
Anthony Davis during the 2021-22 season for the LA Lakers
Anthony Davis was not up to par last season by his incredibly high standards. The shooting splits are incredibly poor for a player considered one of the top-5 players in the league. AD's biggest impediment has been his ability from range, shooting 18.6% from beyond the arc. While he has never been a consistent three-point shooter, Davis hasn't shot below 30% in any season in which he has played over 40 games.
Consistency and health have always been AD's main issues. They continue to hamper him from performing at an MVP caliber level. He missed 21 games during the season due to a knee injury he picked up in a loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The LA Lakers have lost 11 of those games, underlining his importance to the team.
Upon his return, Davis averaged nearly 30 points while collecting over 13 rebounds and nearly 3 blocks over a five-game span. However, a lack of consistency and assertiveness continued to plague the former No. 1 draft pick last season. His production dropped once again. Another injury caused more missed time, 42 games.
The LA Lakers will not fulfill their championship aspirations in the coming season if Anthony Davis does not get back to his MVP level. No matter what LeBron James and company do, the Lakers rely on AD's production.
