The NBA’s All-Star reserves were announced on Thursday, and there are many notable snubs. James Harden, Pascal Siakam, and Jimmy Butler did not make the cut in the Eastern Conference. While De’Aaron Fox and Anthony Edwards were left out in part due to a deep pool in the West. Then there is Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis who was left off the roster.
The “Street Clothes” Conversation
A big critique of Anthony Davis is the concerns about his durability. In the last two seasons, Davis has missed 78 of the Lakers’ 154 games, not including the playoffs in 2021 where he got hurt against Phoenix. The injuries got so frequent that Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley dubbed him “Street Clothes” after his groin injury in the 2021 playoffs.
This year has been much of the same problem. Davis has been limited to 29 games this season mainly due to a foot injury that cost him 20 games. However, the injuries may not be the reason for the snub, despite popular opinion. For example, Zion Williamson was voted an All-Star starter despite playing the same number of games as Davis. Williamson has not played since January 4th due to a hamstring injury. Memphis’s Jaren Jackson, who was voted in as a reserve, has only missed 17 games. However, due to Jackson only averaging 27 minutes a game, Davis has played more minutes total (967 to 945).
Anthony Davis on the Court
What may be lost in this situation due to his injuries is that Anthony Davis may be having one of his best seasons. Offensively, he is having his most efficient season so far. His 58% field goal percentage and 65% true shooting are currently the highest in his career and the biggest difference is his average shot distance. Davis’s average distance is 7.8 feet, which is the shortest since his rookie season in 2012-13. His efficiency from 3-10 feet is at 52.2% and he is shooting 32% of his shots at that range, by far the highest frequency of his career.
After splitting time between center and power forward, Davis has been playing center exclusively this year. Statistically, his defensive rating has gotten progressively higher during his time with the Lakers. This year, his rating is at 109.7, below the Lakers’ 114.6 team average.
Should He Be an All-Star?
We know the NBA never lacks star talent, especially in the Western Conference. However, it is hard to believe that a player that averaged 26 points and 12 rebounds per game was snubbed. No disrespect to the likes of Zion Williamson, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Domantas Sabonis, who were all voted in. But Anthony Davis deserved his ninth career All-Star bid, regardless of the games he missed with injuries.
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