Despite the big names not scheduled to play for either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Brooklyn Nets, Anthony Davis came onto the court.
Davis had his 2021 postseason cut short because of lower-leg injuries, and he wasn’t going to miss his first opportunity to play a 5-on-5 game against another team.
The 28-year-old big man played just 11 minutes in the first quarter and put up six points (2-of-6 FG), one rebound, one assist and one steal. Though he didn’t play more minutes, head coach Frank Vogel was glad to see his star big man back in action.
“Anthony, yeah, great to see him back out there, first of all,” Vogel said. “I commend him for wanting to play in his first game even though it was a noon game and only the fourth or fifth day removed from the start of camp. The desire to want to be out there is to be commended.”
Vogel then assessed Davis’ performance in the first quarter.
“I thought he looked really good,” Vogel said. “He moved well, he missed a couple of shots he normally makes, but you could just see the presence that he has, especially alongside DeAndre (Jordan). But, again, the versatility when he slides to the 5 is just a different look, and (I’m) excited to see him back out there.”
Davis is expected to play against the Phoenix Suns in Game 2 of the preseason, but it’s unclear how many minutes he’ll be out there. The Lakers need a healthy Davis to win the title so seeing him on the floor in any capacity is a refreshing sign.
