“It’s just really his pain tolerance right now” – Richard Jefferson criticizes ‘pain free’ Anthony Davis sitting out against Houston Rockets
Anthony Davis has been doing much of the heavy lifting for the LA Lakers this season as his co-star LeBron James is sidelined with an injury. The All-Star big man has been healthy as of late, but despite being listed as healthy, Davis won't be playing the second game of a back-to-back on Wednesday, and ESPN's Richard Jefferson has some issues with that.
This reaction came after Lakers coach Darvin Ham confirmed that Davis won't play against the Houston Rockets (16-52), who are tied for the fewest wins this season. Davis scored 35 points and had 17 rebounds as the Lakers (34-35) crushed the New Orleans Pelicans 123-108 on Tuesday night.
Here's what Jefferson said about AD's pain tolerance:
"If a coach says a player is 'pain free,' but we're still going to keep him out. If you're telling me that he's not having pain, if he has some soreness on the offday, I get it. If you are pain free, then I just get confused. I just hear it, and I just don't understand.
"It's just his pain tolerance right now. Like, look, he's not gonna injure himself further, it's just a matter of his pain tolerance. We've seen (Pelicans guard) CJ McCollum playing with a splint on his right hand, but it's just about pain tolerance. ... It's the message. It's that it's confusing, that's all."
Davis dominated in New Orleans. The eight-time All-Star played 33 minutes, leading the way for the Lakers after his 14-point performance in the first quarter.
With their win last night, the Lakers are 10th in the Western Conference but have the same record as the No. 8 OKC Thunder and No. 9 Dallas Mavericks.
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Can Anthony Davis carry the Lakers to the playoffs?
Anthony Davis has had a great run with the Lakers as of late. His availability and ability to stay healthy has helped the team be in a position to be participants in the play-in tournament. It looks like he's avenging his unavailability from the previous season and earlier this season.
Davis has played incredibly well this season. Over his past ten games, AD has averaged 26.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, helping the Lakers win seven of those games.
If there is someone who should do most of the heavy lifting for the Lakers, it's Davis. He's in a position to prove that he's still an All-NBA talent and can be a leader of any team. In the quest to get back into the playoffs, Los Angeles will rely heavily on The Brow to carry them.
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