Lost in the complete pandemonium of rookie Dalton Knecht’s unbelievable shooting performance in the Los Angeles Lakers preseason win over the Phoenix Suns was the fact that superstar Anthony Davis was absolutely dominant once again.
Davis looked completely ready for the regular season, knocking down four 3-pointers in the first quarter and finishing with 35 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in the victory. While Knecht is more than deserving of the attention and praise he has received, Davis looks like a player poised to build off his fantastic year last season and further solidify himself as the best two-way big man in the league.
That idea isn’t lost on his teammate Austin Reaves, who spoke last season about Davis not getting the credit he truly deserves for what he means to this Lakers team. And following the Lakers preseason win, Reaves reiterated that point, giving Davis the credit he feels others don’t always give him, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I think that he every year doesn’t get the credit that he deserves for what he does for our team. Obviously he gets credit, I’m not saying that he doesn’t. But to the extend that he deserves, he’s a staple for our team. He does everything, offensively, defensively. And then he came out tonight shooting the 3 so well in the first quarter, he’s unguardable then because you got to get out there and contest. He plays like a guard at times, he has unbelievable hands. So if you’re driving on a pick-and-roll, you can kind of throw the ball anywhere at any speed and he’s gonna catch it and finish. Obviously I’m giving him a hard time about missing six free throws, a couple bunnies at the rim, but you can’t every say enough about what he does for us. He flies under the radar and doesn’t really ever take the credit, so I’ll give him that.”
When you have arguably the greatest player ever, LeBron James, on the team, it can be hard for others to receive their deserved credit, even for someone as talented as Davis. But the big man is the absolute centerpiece of this Lakers team, and Reaves recognizes how important he is to the team’s success.
Davis is the centerpiece of this team on defense, and new coach JJ Redick is expanding his offensive role as well. Shooting open 3-pointers has been an emphasis, and Davis showed off that facet of his game in Phoenix in a big way. He simply makes life easier for the rest of the Lakers, and Reaves wants to ensure he is recognized for all he does.
Lakers coach JJ Redick loves Anthony Davis’ confidence shooting the ball
Anthony Davis came into this contest ready to shoot, knocking down four 3-pointers in the first quarter and undoubtedly exciting head coach JJ Redick. The Lakers coach made it clear that it wasn’t just that Davis was making threes, but his confidence and willingness to shoot them that was great to see.
Redick said that they will find the balance between Davis shooting threes and operating in the paint, but he loved seeing the big man’s willingness to get those shots up without hesitation.
