AD: Lakers' injuries were 'the difference' this season

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis believes things would have turned out differently if he and LeBron James were healthy this season.

"Our goal was to win a championship," Davis said Tuesday after the Lakers were officially eliminated from playoff contention, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "Feel like we had the pieces, but injuries got in the way of that. And that was the difference in the season.

"I think even though we lost games where all of us was on the floor - me, Bron, (Russell Westbrook) - I think we're three great players, but we would have figured it out if we logged more minutes together. But we weren't able to do that, which makes it tough to be able to compete for a championship when your three best players haven't logged enough minutes together."

Davis, 29, missed significant portions of the 2021-22 campaign due to injury. He made just 40 appearances this season after a career-low 36 the year prior. The Lakers went 14-25 with the 2012 No. 1 pick sidelined.

James, 37, has struggled to stay healthy throughout his four-year tenure with Los Angeles. He played in only 56 games this season and has missed four of the Lakers' last five contests, including Tuesday's 121-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

Multiple rotational pieces have also missed time, while free-agent signee Kendrick Nunn hasn't even suited up this season. The club has cycled through 39 different starting lineups, trailing only the Brooklyn Nets.

"This year, we had more starting lineups than wins," Davis said.