For the past few seasons, Anthony Davis has been heavily scrutinized by the Lakers fans due to the shortcomings of the franchise. Playing alongside LeBron James comes with a downside of its own and AD can certainly feel it.
But this season Anthony Davis has been different. AD has become one of the team’s top performers if not the top, and his numbers speak for themselves. With a post-season spot on the line, the Lakers took on the Warriors on Tuesday night, but AD was not ready for the game.
Why is Anthony Davis sidelined for Lakers vs Warriors game?
Anthony Davis was ruled out of the Lakers’ roster 90 minutes prior to the exciting game between the spot-hungry Western rivals as he didn’t fully recover from his injury.
Explaining the decision, Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham stated, “He showed up to the arena trying to do everything he could to play, but just couldn’t overcome the headache and the nausea.” Speculations of a probable concussion have been made although, as per NBA’s concussion protocol, AD is clear.
BREAKING: Anthony Davis (headache) is OUT tonight, per @ChrisBHaynes pic.twitter.com/r4LAlxcXEc
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 10, 2024
Davis received the injury two days ago in the opening quarter of the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 31-year-old got hit in the face by Wolves’ Kyle Anderson and left the court after playing for 12 minutes citing an eye injury.
The Lakers’ center and LeBron James’ absence cost the franchise a great deal as the game ended in Wolves’ favor (127-117). Davis’ non-appearance has also affected the Lakers as he is an integral part of the squad and has been in his best form.
Anthony Davis performances this NBA season
With his phenomenal performance this season, Anthony Davis showed why the LA franchise re-signed him. The big man has put up massive numbers on the Lakers’ scoreboard week in and week out, taking responsibility for their offense as well as defense.
As per ESPN’s list, AD has earned the third spot for grabbing 12.6 rebounds per game, only behind the MVP contender Domantas Sabonis, against whom Davis couldn’t perform and the DPOY favorite, Rudy Gobert. Along with the huge number of rebounds, Davis is averaging 1.2 steals and 2.4 blocks and his defensive abilities make him one of the top contenders in the DPOY race.
AD is scoring 24.5 points and distributing 3.5 assists per game while shooting at 55.4% from the field and 81.6% from the free throw line to display a glimpse of his versatility. In the last ten games, AD averaged 24.5 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.2 blocks. Hence, his role is vital in a crucial time like this when the Lakers are struggling to secure their position in the post-season tournament.
There is no certainty of his return, however, with two games remaining in the regular season, the franchise would want Anthony Davis back as soon as possible following a disappointing 120-134 loss against the Golden State Warriors.
