Everyone likes to make jokes at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers right now. They had a rough 2021-22 NBA season, going 33-49, and are coming into the 2022-23 campaign without much more optimism.
What Rob Pelinka has managed to do with this team, despite having two franchise cornerstones in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, is almost impressive.
Having two players of that caliber should be more than enough to contend, but Los Angeles looks like they will be lucky to compete for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament with the roster that has been constructed. While the roster is mismatched, counting on good health for their players is also a risk.
Davis is one of the most dominant players in the NBA, but he struggles mightily to stay on the court. He has played in 76 games combined in the last two seasons and his absence is a direct cause of the team’s struggles.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
His injury history is well documented, as he seems to be battling some sort of nagging injury every night. That has caught the attention of many people, including Charles Barkley. The Hall of Famer and TNT analyst came up with a nickname for Davis because of his inability to stay on the court.
“Yeah, I called him, ‘Street Clothes,’” Barkley told the Los Angeles Times. “I mean, I don’t know if he’s ever played 82 games. I mean, he’s been hurt more than he has played.”
Barkley would be correct in his assessment. The most games that Davis has played in a single season is 75, and he did it twice in back-to-back seasons from 2016-2018. Outside of those two seasons, he has never crossed the 70-game threshold.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The last three seasons with the Lakers have been three of his most injury-riddled campaigns, something he is hoping to change this season. He put in a lot of work during the offseason to get his body right and isn’t worried about what people like Barkley have to say about it.
“I don’t care what he says,” Davis said. “People say stuff for ratings. Like, they got to push their show, push their blog, push their podcast, whatever it is. So, people got to say something to bring in viewers. It is what it is. I go out there and play basketball and let them do their job. My job is to hoop. Their job is to talk about me.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
That is the right mindset to have, as there is no use in focusing on what media members say. As Davis said, it is their job to talk about him and that is all they are doing. He can prove them wrong by staying on the court.
The Lakers certainly need that to occur, because if Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors was an indication of anything, it is that this could be another long season in Los Angeles.
