If Anthony Davis didn’t suffer a groin strain against the Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, it’s possible the Los Angeles Lakers could’ve been playing right now.
But that’s not the reality Davis and the Lakers are facing. Once Davis went down, the series tilted in Phoenix’s favor.
The Lakers already had shooting concerns with Davis healthy, but his ability to score inside the arc helped mitigate those issues.
However, once Davis’ presence was removed from the equation, L.A. didn’t have enough reliable sources on offense to rival the Suns’ output.
As the Lakers rest up for next season, Davis explained how his groin currently feels:
"I feel good tho, chat. Groin feels real good. Trust me; we're going to be ready for next year. We're going to be right.”
– Anthony Davis
(via @nicoleganglani, h/t @pickuphoop)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 18, 2021
It’s been about two weeks since the Lakers were eliminated, so it’s a promising sign to see Davis optimistic this early in the offseason.
Davis also had injury problems during the regular season. He missed 36 games with a calf strain he suffered in mid-February, which dealt a major blow to L.A. in the playoff standings.
But since next season doesn’t start until mid-October, there’s plenty of time for Davis and the rest of the squad to heal after a grueling campaign.
