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Two years ago, you couldn't go on NBA Twitter without seeing jokes about Anthony Davis missing games for the Los Angeles Lakers. Those jokes came in the midst of a stretch where Davis missed 78 games out of 154 available games for the Lakers. It hurt their chances of defending their title in 2021 and caused them to miss the Playoffs in 2022.
Ever since Davis missed 19 straight games for the Lakers in the 2022-23, he's been a true iron man. After returning from that stretch of missed games in January 2023, Davis has since only missed 10 out of the Lakers' 160 games, helping them make a Conference Finals and return to the Playoffs last season, as pointed out by a fan on Redidt.
Outside those two seasons in 2021-22, Davis has displayed competent reliability over the course of his career. He missed just eight games in the shortened 2019-20 campaign, while also consistently playing over 60 games every season during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans.
In the realities of the modern NBA, very few players are actually playing 82 games every season, and even fewer star players doing so. Davis hasn't been a player who'll play 82 games a season, but he definitely has been one who will give it his all when he's healthy with everyone knowing he will miss about 10-15 games that season.
He easily qualified for All-NBA selection last season with the 65-game requirement and has missed one game this season for the Lakers, a 17-point loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
It's clear that Davis will be on the court if healthy, and he's shattered the 'Day-To-Day Davis' or 'Street Clothes' comments he endured for the first few years of his Lakers tenure.
Anthony Davis Has Looked Terrific Over The Last Few Seasons
Davis' great health has coincided with a stretch where he's played phenomenal basketball, reminiscent of his production with the Pelicans. While the statistics aren't as gaudy given Davis plays alongside LeBron James, he has conclusively emerged as the team's best player over the last two years, even ahead of LeBron.
He's averaged 25.1 points, 12.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 2.3 blocks on 54.9% from the field over his last 150 games.
Davis was named to the All-NBA Second Team last season while LeBron was on the Third Team, and the team has already looked heavily dependent on Davis for success on the court. He has particularly excelled as a defender, although he's been perenially overlooked for Defensive Player of the Year.
He's proven that he's capable of being the No. 1 option on a title team, with LeBron being a terrific No. 2 option. The problem is that the Lakers haven't been able to support their stars with the rosters necessary to succeed. While Davis has played a part in their failures, especially his failure to lock down Nikola Jokic in Playoff matchups, the team never would have made it far enough without him.
Hopefully, his wish of having a big man alongside him can further unlock his production and protect his body, as the load he has taken on in recent years could come back to haunt him later.
