Dave McMenamin gave a positive update on LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ health.
Throughout the Los Angeles Lakers 2022-23 season, superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis have consistently dealt with nagging injuries. They only played 55 games and 56 games respectively, and it is clear that they need to do better than that next season to get homecourt advantage.
It seems as though things are looking good for James and Davis health-wise. Recently, NBA insider Dave McMenamin revealed that the Lakers feels good about where the two superstars are health-wise, and noted that Davis’ jump shot has been looking really good.
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“Well healthwise, both LeBron and A.D., the team feels really good about,” Dave McMenamin said. “Now, the players on the Lakers organized a minicamp in San Diego last weekend. All the players on the roster were in attendance, and the buzz — the thing that people were talking about — was how well Anthony Davis’ jump shot looked.” (1:30)
Sometimes, a player getting healthy is all they need to be back at their best. Hopefully, Anthony Davis and LeBron James both end up playing at an All-NBA level next season, and we’ll see what ends up happening in the future.
LeBron James’ Mentality Plays A Huge Part In His Durability
There is no doubt that having the motivation and drive to continue being dominant is an important part of longevity. Once, Dwyane Wade marveled at LeBron James’ mental strength that allowed him to keep playing for over 20 years.
“He has the mental to continue to keep his mind strong. That’s one of the hardest parts. If you physically can play, mentally, you lose it even quicker… LeBron has been mentally able to tell himself, ‘You’re not tired, you’re not injured.’ He’s been able to mentally do that… His mind is strong, one of his strongest tools is his mind. People say he has a crazy IQ. No, he has an intelligent and strong mind. That allows him to keep going. As long as his mind stays strong, which gets harder and harder every year, he could average 20+ for a couple of more years.”
It remains to be seen how long LeBron James will continue playing for. He averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game last season, and made the All-NBA Third Team. He is clearly still a superstar, and the Lakers will be contenders as long as he and Anthony Davis are on the roster.
LeBron James And Anthony Davis Just Need To Stay Healthy To Get Far In The Playoffs
The Los Angeles Lakers made the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 playoffs, despite being a play-in tournament team at the start of the postseason. It is clear that the team has the talent to be successful, and if they can get a top 6 seed next season, they can even avoid the grueling play-in tournament.
The regular season is important, not only from an awards perspective but also from a playoff perspective. If LeBron James and Anthony Davis can play 65 or more games, they will almost be guaranteed to make an All-NBA team and have the Lakers as a homecourt advantage team as well. The key is simply staying healthy throughout the season, and we’ll see if the two superstars are able to do so.
