"The smart ones get skinnier; Did Tim Duncan put on weight? No!" - NBA analyst speculates big guys like Anthony Davis needing to shed weight for longevity, brings up the weight chatter around Chet Holmgren

Anthony Davis’ health heading into the LA Lakers’ campaign next season is deemed by many as the most important question that needs answering. The last time AD was fully healthy, he helped LeBron James carry the team to the 2020 title.

After playing 62 games in his first season in Hollywood, Davis has featured in only a combined 76 games over the last two years. Besides the accidental injuries, the eight-time All-Star has looked and played like he’s out of shape in those injury-saddled seasons.

On his latest podcast episode, Bill Simmons pointed out that AD could follow what Hall of Famer Tim Duncan did to change his body and stay healthy:

“Look at the history of these big guys as they have gotten older. The smart ones get skinnier. Did Tim Duncan put on weight? No! Tim Duncan started to look like he was a beach volleyball player by the time he was like 2012 range. I think that’s the move, you wanna be lighter.”

Anthony Davis came into the league as a wiry big man, weighing around 220 lbs. He wasn't as skinny as OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren, but he had to bulk up to become a superstar. While Holmgren needs to add more weight, Davis could go the opposite way.

AD has naturally and carefully evolved over the years to roughly 250 lbs of muscle. Keeping the weight off, however, has been a bit of a struggle, particularly with injuries. According to Simmons, staying at a significantly lower playing weight could allow him to stay healthy.

Legendary San Antonio Spurs big man Tim Duncan walked the same path that AD is now walking. Although Duncan wasn’t out of shape, he had to keep his weight down compared to his peak playing years.

Duncan, a five-time champion, played at around 265 in his peak years. After knee and ankle injuries, the Spurs icon trimmed his playing weight, reportedly down to 235 lbs.

Duncan started his career as one of the most dominant inside operators the NBA has ever seen. As he aged and as the game moved towards the perimeter, losing weight allowed him to maintain his mobility. It also kept him off the injury list for most of the time.

Anthony Davis is now 28 years old. The last time he played at least 75 games was during the 2017-18 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans when he was 24. He has played in 62, 36 and 40 games in three years with the LA Lakers, which is roughly 46 games per season with the purple and gold franchise.

From the time Duncan turned 28 until he retired at age 39, he still averaged 72.5 games per season. Perhaps Bill Simmons has a point and has provided an idea that could be crucial considering how badly the LA Lakers need Davis' presence to succeed.

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Kevin Garnett called out Anthony Davis to get in shape and work on his game

Kevin Garnett is convinced Anthony Davis should be an MVP if healthy. [Photo: Sportscasting]

One of Tim Duncan’s biggest rivals, Kevin Garnett, didn't hold back on what Anthony Davis should do to sustain greatness. KG believes Davis should be MVP at least once, but he has to put in the work.

Here’s what the former champion had to say on "KG Certified" about AD’s work ethic:

“Bro, get lost, go to Hawaii, somewhere, straight up and down. When you come into camp, come into camp in better shape than anybody and everybody. That’s what you should be focused on.”

Garnett added:

“Go back to watch yourself, real s**t and be real with yourself, watch it by yourself. Go in the lab and get your s**t right. There’s no way he’s probably not top 10, top 5 in this game.”

Kevin Garnett fortunately never had any problems keeping his weight down. But as Bill Simmons analyzed, Anthony Davis could get his cue from the best power forward of all time in Tim Duncan.