Anthony Davis could be one of the keys to the success of the Lakers, he who has missed so much over the past two seasons. If his preseason is reassuring in the game, his attitude raises questions. Lineninterior has actually just made a rather worrying statement.
Anthony Davis is quite reassuring on this preseason with impressive statistics and above all a newfound efficiency. After putting up 28 points in just 21 minutes against the Warriors, the interior went on Wednesday with 19 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in the loss to the Timberwolves. There is still work collectively, but AD is in good shape.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James in tonight’s #NBAPreseason stock:@AntDavis23: 19 PTS, 13 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK@KingJames: 25 PTS, 11 REB pic.twitter.com/XdOT67PGQf
— NBA (@NBA) October 13, 2022
Anthony Davis still refuses to play pivot!
The problem is that this return to the fore is obviously not enough to make him smile again. Something bothers him in Darvin Ham’s project, and he made it known at a press conference. Anthony Davis actually started the game as a pivot, a position he still doesn’t like, even if all the coaches see a future for him at the heart of the racket…
Anthony Davis on how he feels about potentially starting at the 5: “I trust Coach’s decision. I mean, I’m pretty sure he heard AD wants to play the 4, so he knows where I stand, but at the end of the day , I want to win, so if that’s me playing the 5, that’s what it’s got to be.”
—Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 13, 2022
I trust the coach and his decisions. I’m sure he heard in the media that Anthony Davis wants to play on position 4, so he knows what I think. But in the end I want to win, so if that means I have to play pivot, it has to be.
This statement is quite worrying at the dawn of such an important season for the Lakers. Indeed, Anthony Davis is not necessarily 100% in the Darvin Ham project, and if he plays pivot it will be more by obligation than by will. It will therefore be necessary to monitor his level of motivation on the ground, especially since his coach confirmed this week that the All-Star would spend many minutes in this position which he does not like.
And this fairly clear reluctance from Davis could have consequences for the rest of the workforce. Indeed, he could be in favor of a big exchange to bring in a real job 5 like Myles Turner for example, who has been in rumors for many months now. Russell Westbrook could quickly bear the brunt of AD’s dissatisfaction….
Anthony Davis is excellent this pre-season but he is not happy. He will agree to play pivot if his Lakers win, but at the slightest bad series he may well be having a whim internally. Situation to be observed carefully in the coming months…