Anthony Davis Sets Seemingly Impossible Goal For 2022-23

The Los Angeles Lakers need a few things to go right if they are to return to contender status this season. Good health for LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook having a bounce-back season and fitting in better would be a nice start. But perhaps nothing is more important for the Lakers' potential success than having Anthony Davis available. As much as possible.

AD, however, has set a seemingly impossible goal for himself:

What’s the top personal goal for Anthony Davis?

“I wanna be on the court,” he said. “I want to play all 82.”
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) September 28, 2022

"I just want to be on the floor. I want to be able to play all 82, Davis said. "And if I'm not, I don't want it to be injury-based where I can't play. That's my goal."

Allie Clifton: "Any personal goals for you going [into this season]?"

Anthony Davis: "As much as I can, play all 82 [games], and then get back to the level of basketball that I know I'm capable of playing which is being elite and dominant."pic.twitter.com/EJAVrtQfjD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 26, 2022

Davis also wants to get back to "the level of basketball that I know I'm capable of playing which is being elite and dominant."

But being on the floor for all 82? An admirable goal, to be sure. And again, the Lakers are true contenders if that happens. But a quick look at Davis's basketball reference page indicates that this isn't very likely.

Games Played:
64
67
68
61
75
75
56
62
36
40
and next, 82?https://t.co/KxLg0khY4I
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) September 29, 2022

The most games in a season that Davis has played is 75, and that was done in back-to-back seasons in New Orleans in 2016-17 and '17-'18.

Since then, AD has been riddled with injuries that have kept him out of 114 games over four seasons — 37% of his team's games. His issues have ranged from finger sprains, to calf injuries, to knee injuries to a foot sprain. He played in just 40 games last season, and just 36 the season before.

It's no coincidence that the Lakers' fortunes have fallen as has Davis.

He seems super focused on changing those fortunes in 2022-23.

And to that end, new head coach Darvin Ham seems to be ready to help. “Just being efficient with how we practice, how we manage shootarounds, how we manage their minutes,” Ham said. “I don’t need ‘Bron or AD playing playoff minutes in October, November, December.”