Latest update on Anthony Davis' back injury, per Lakers head coach

Darvin Ham provided an update on Anthony Davis' back tightness after the Los Angeles Lakers' second preseason game.

Anthony Davis was a last-minute scratch from the Los Angeles Lakers preseason contest against the Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas on Wednesday due to lower back tightness. He won't play in the second leg of their back-to-back in the desert on Thursday, head coach Darvin Ham said after the Lakers' 119-115 loss to the Phoenix Suns at T-Mobile Arena.

Ham said the Lakers are being “precautionary” with the All-Star big-man and getting ahead of the issue two weeks before the regular season tips off on Oct. 18.

Davis missed half of the Lakers' games in 2020-21 and was limited to 40 games last season due to a variety of ailments — some minor, some major, some fluky. At Media Day last week, the eight-time All-Star said he's coming off the best offseason of his career and that his goal for the 2022-23 season is to appear in all 82 regular-season games or only miss games for rest-related reasons. Since being hired, Ham has repeatedly stated his intention to carefully manage Davis' and LeBron James' minutes, especially through the early part of the calendar.

“I don’t need LeBron or AD playing playoff minutes in October, November, or December,” Ham said at Media Day.

AD posted 11 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 16 minutes in his preseason debut on Monday. He was listed on the injury report with back tightness for that game.

Wenyen Gabriel started in place of Davis. He scored six points in 20 minutes and impressed on both ends for the second straight preseason game.