Lakers News: Anthony Davis Reassures HC Darvin Ham; Latest Injury Updates

It's been tough sledding for the Los Angeles Lakers to start the 2022-23 NBA season.

The campaign isn't even a month old yet, and they've already endured a pair of five-game losing streaks.

There is, however, some good news around this group, and few clubs need it more. Let's get to the latest rumblings below.

---

Anthony Davis Sticks Up for Darvin Ham

First-year coach Darvin Ham hasn't had it easy.

Beyond coaching a roster that often looks both undermanned and overmatched, he's doing all of this inside the Hollywood spotlight and under the intense scrutiny that comes with coaching superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Of the myriad challenges Ham has faced this season, none loomed greater than grabbing control of this locker room. A recent endorsement from Davis suggests Ham may have aced that exam.

"Had a real good conversation with [Davis] after our last game, our last loss," Ham told reporters following Sunday's win over the Brooklyn Nets. "And he just said, 'I got your back, Coach.' And that was huge for me being a first-time head coach and having a player of that magnitude just constantly try and do everything you ask him to do."

Whatever the Lakers accomplish this season—as bleak as it has looked at times, it's important to remember it's still very early—they'll do so on the strength of their stars.

So, if Ham has the backing of Davis, that could be huge. Injuries and wavering aggressiveness have held Davis back a bit in recent seasons, but he has difference-making talent. If Ham finds a way to tap into that—Davis had season highs of 37 points and 18 rebounds Sunday—then maybe L.A. can find its way out of this mess.

---

Full Squad Friday?

The Lakers are 13 games into this season and still awaiting their first glimpse of their full roster intact.

That moment might finally happen this Friday.

"The Lakers hope to have everyone available for the first time all season in their next game against the Detroit Pistons at home Friday," ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin reported. "James has missed the past two tilts with a left groin strain, and Dennis Schröder and Thomas Bryant have yet to make their season debut while they both recover from thumb surgery."

Who knows how much this could actually help the Lakers. James has played in eight of the team's losses, and both Schröder and Bryant will play support roles at most, so maybe the on-court impact will be negligible at best.

Then again, it can't hurt and could possibly make a big difference.

James has looked a tad sluggish to start this season (by his standards, at least), so maybe this time off will help recharge his batteries. Schröder will bring added shot-creation, and Bryant could scratch an itch for spacing and provide three-point shooting from the center spot.

The biggest item worth watching, though, is what, if any, impact Schröder's return will have on Russell Westbrook. While the latter was demoted to second team, he's actually averaging more minutes as a reserve (29.6) than he did as a starter (28.5). It's possible his floor time could continue at such a prominent clip, but Schröder offers an alternative the Lakers might be wise to explore.