Lakers News: Latest on Anthony Davis' Eye, LA's Defense Ahead of Season Restart

The Los Angeles Lakers' quest to end the 2019-20 season by winning the NBA title resumes Thursday night.

More than four months after the season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Lakers are set to play the Los Angeles Clippers in the first of their eight seeding games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.

While the Lakers have a 5.5-game lead over the Clippers for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, there was some cause for concern surrounding the team earlier this week. Anthony Davis missed Monday's exhibition game and didn't practice Tuesday after being poked in the eye during Los Angeles' exhibition against the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

Fortunately for the Lakers, though, positive news came Wednesday. According to Mike Trudell of team's official site, Davis participated in Los Angeles' full practice in the day before its return game, which Davis said he was planning on playing in with his eye "getting better."

However, Davis looked a bit different at Lakers practice. ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported that Davis wore protective eyewear, and while he doesn't plan on wearing it during games, he "wanted to give it a test run in a non-game situation," which Davis said "felt very different."

Davis also impressed Los Angeles head coach Frank Vogel with his new look.

"He looked better than anybody that's ever worn them," Vogel said, per Bontemps. "It's a style thing. We have a good-looking superstar that looks great in glasses or goggles or whatever you want to call those things. It was great to have him back out there."

The Lakers are a better team with Davis on the floor, and that includes on the defensive end. He's averaged 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks through 55 games this season.

That's not the only reason Los Angeles plays solid defense. Danny Green shared Wednesday that fellow guard Avery Bradley (who opted not to play in the NBA bubble) has had a positive influence on the team on that end of the floor, even when he's not on the court.

"The standard [Bradley] set for us defensively is always going to be there: that presence, how he picked up full-court and what our point differential was when he was on the floor," Green said, according to Christian Rivas of SB Nation. "That's always a goal of ours: the Avery challenge. ... So even though he's not here, there's always the standard that he upheld for us to challenge ourselves and achieve that goal defensively."

The Lakers will look to take that defensive intensity from practices and exhibitions into meaningful games, starting Thursday. They have eight seeding games in which to tune up for the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin Aug. 17.