Anthony Davis further provided a sense of relief to Lakers fans when he said his back was holding up well.
An injury to one of their key stars is the last thing the Los Angeles Lakers would want, especially after their sordid 0-4 start to the 2022-23 season. That Anthony Davis has been taking some hits might be a cause for concern, but the big man has so far braved it all while chalking up points on the board.
If it was a painful fall against the Los Angeles Clippers, the latest came during the clash against the Denver Nuggets.
More worrisome than their loss, would be an injury to Davis after he got had some contact with Nikola Jokic. While he didn't go down, he was seen visibly hurt and was wincing even as play resumed and went to the other side of the floor.
Despite the pain, he hung on for 37 minutes, ending his evening with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
The assurance came later from both Ham and Davis himself. Speaking to reporters in the aftermath of the loss that saw Russell Westbrook sidelined to hamstring soreness, the coach provided an update on his center's condition.
“He’s fine. He’s fine. He wouldn’t have been able to finish the game — getting that shot in the back, we were all a little nervous at that point in time but he was able to get through the game and give us a lot of good production. But he’s fine.”
Adding a little more comfort for fans who wish to see the Lakers from their freefall, Davis said he was a little irritated but fine. A tweet said the big man was confident about how he was moving in addition to the hits.
You can watch a clip of Davis hunched down in pain below after taking the shot, and while also going for a dunk (much to the amusement of some who have been taking digs at his extensive injury history).
Anthony Davis says his back feels "good" and he'll be fine despite irritating it a little bit. And considering their poor start, there will be every reason to believe that he will suit up in their next game against Minnesota Timberwolves.
An Injury To Anthony Davis Will Further Dent The Lakers Chances Of Making The Postseason
The start of the season saw Anthony Davis playing at center, a position he doesn't necessarily favor, but was willing to go through it so the team could have a two-way benefit. And it immediately worked, as he proved to be lethal at the five.
Warning signs went off when Davis took a tumble against the Clippers but assured he was fine and while he's been listed as probable ahead of games, he has been a regular fixture, although it's done little to improve the offense during the minutes he takes a breather.
An injury to either Davis or James will almost certainly call curtains to Los Angeles's somewhat optimistic season. While cohesion, chemistry, and offense will improve over time, what won't are their chances if one of the two is down and out with an injury. They play the Timberwolves in an away fixture on Friday (October 28).
More must-reads: