Davis said his left ankle, foot and entire body are “100 percent” and he does not feel pain after workouts. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native is now 315 pounds and hopes to drop to 295 pounds by the time he returns to action. He is playing basketball full court while working out primarily in Los Angeles. While Davis already had a solid midrange jumper, he says, he is now confident shooting the 3-pointer, which is a must for stretch forwards in the NBA.
Mentally and physically, Davis said, he is ready to join the G League.
“I can do everything. I’m playing pickup. Working out. Running,” Davis said. “I’m doing a lot of sand work. I’m getting the small muscles back in my foot. I’m shooting a lot of 3s. I am working on a lot of things in my game that I never really had a chance to work on being a role player.
“I want to play. That’s my next step. Whatever I go out there to do to show I can play the game at a high level still and help a team win, I will do. I know it’s going to be a process because I haven’t played in two years. But I feel like I’m at the prime in my game and I still have a lot to offer.”
Davis’ Celtics teammate Brian Scalabrine said on SiriusXM radio on Sept. 15 that he believes Davis has the talent to return to the NBA but that his outspokenness might turn off teams. Davis said last season that Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers received preferential treatment from his father, ex-Celtics coach and current Clippers head coach Doc Rivers. Austin Rivers and Davis had a war of words afterward on television and the internet. Davis also is known for having a great personality that has been showcased on Fox Sports 1, Turner Sports and the SEC Network, and he plans to continue doing television once he is done playing basketball professionally.
Asked about Scalabrine’s comments, Davis said with a laugh: “Tell my man thanks for the love.”
Davis and former NBA forward-center Elton Brand had their share of battles on the hardwood during their NBA careers. Brand recently was named the general manager of the G League’s Delaware 87ers. Brand said he would have interest in signing or drafting Davis if the opportunity presented itself. Having Davis could be a box-office draw, a roster boost and veteran presence for a G League team.
“If that’s true that he wants to return to the NBA, my belief is the G League is the best way to show it,” Brand said. “It shows that you are hungry. A lot of the G League teams are trying to run the same sets offensively and defensively that they are running in the NBA. That is a great thing.
“[Davis] was tough. He can hit the midrange shot. I worked out with him one summer, and he definitely has 3-point range. He is a champion who has hit big shots. I would absolutely consider him.”
If Davis could go back in time to talk to a young “Big Baby,” he would tell him to truly “appreciate these moments” being in the NBA.
“Going back to my rookie year winning a championship, you don’t really think about what you’ve really done until years after,” Davis said. “You could have appreciated it a little bit more. Just moments. Just life lessons. Making the right decisions. Things like that.
“Being out of the game so long, you appreciate what the NBA offers. I thought about it my whole life growing up that I wanted to go to the NBA and be a part of it. There have been so many doors that it’s opened. Just the people I’ve met, the unity of the brand itself and what comes with it. You miss everything about it. I want to go back.”