Subscribe
Follow Us
Before playing 75 games in each of the past two seasons, many considered New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis as an oft-inured big man whose inability to steer clear of numerous injuries would eventually hold him back from reaching his full potential.
This is no longer the case today as Davis, who was once described as “fragile,” has now established himself as a durable big set to become one of the greatest big men to ever play the sport. Pelicans head strength coach Jason Sumerlin is a firm believer in Davis and has recently raved about the five-time All-Star's unmatched physical prowess.
Article Continues Below“He’s off the chart, he’s so hyper mobile,” Sumerlin says, per Seerat Sohi of SB Nation. “Now we’re trying to strengthen in there. You’re not going to see injuries in the shoulders, the toes, the hips, the ankles, stuff like that — knock on wood.”
Sumerlin is practically claiming that Davis has made such great strides in his strength and conditioning that injuries have now become a thing of the past. This is certainly a very bold claim, but definitely holds some truth to it, especially considering the coach's vast experience in his field.
Two years ago, it would have been very difficult to swallow Sumerlin's statement. However, Davis has proven his doubters wrong by staying healthy throughout the better part of the past two seasons. Whatever he's doing appears to be working wonders, and surely, Sumerlin and his team of physios deserve a lot of credit.
Davis is coming off the best season of his career. He put up 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He also won his first playoff series when the Pelicans swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round.
