"He was a flat-out monster last night … He was moving like 2020 AD” – NBA analyst in awe of Anthony Davis’ performance in preseason
Anthony Davis has had a rough two-year stretch. Since winning a championship with the lakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">LA Lakers during the 2019-20 season, Davis has missed extended time due to injuries.
Over the past two seasons, the eight-time All-Star was sidelined for over half of the Lakers' games. Despite that, NBA analyst Skip Bayless believes he's still a top-10 player when healthy.
Davis will need to be healthy this season if the team hopes to make a deep run in the stacked Western Conference. Given that he played in just 40 games last season, the star forward had little time to build chemistry with LeBron James & Russell Westbrook.
Going into a season that many are considering a 'make or break' for the Lakers trio, Bayless is adamant that Davis can return to form. He spoke on a recent episode of Undisputed with Skip & Shannon to discuss Davis' recent preseason performance, saying:
"Is this the same Anthony Davis that I remember from last year? Is this 2020 Anthony Davis who has suddenly reared his head? The Anthony Davis I saw last night was everything he talked about. ... He was a flat-out monster last night. ... He was moving like 2020 AD and commanding the paint."
Although it was a preseason game, Davis' performance deserves some recognition. In just 16 minutes played, Davis recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds to go along with two assists and a steal. He also shot 50% from beyond the arc on four 3-point attempts.
Fans Skeptical Of Anthony Davis & Lakers
Despite his stellar performance in the team's first preseason game, fans don't seem convinced. It seemed to be more of a silver lining for fans, who pointed out that the Lakers lost by thirty points.
One of the biggest talking points after the game was LeBron James putting up just four points. James managed to go 0-7 from the floor while dishing out only two assists in 16 minutes. Going into his 20th season in the league, a drop in production can be somewhat expected. That stat-line is still concerning.
Lakers fans are hoping that the franchise will figure things out sooner rather than later. With Davis and James under team control for another few years, it's no secret that L.A. is in 'win now mode'.
Do you think the Lakers will be able to return to form and reclaim their place atop the NBA? Will the trio of James, Davis and Westbrook find familiarity with one another? Will Patrick Beverley's presence in the backcourt improve their defense?
These are all questions that fans are eager to have answered when the season tips off in a few weeks. The Lakers start their 2022-23 season against the Golden State Warriors on October 18.