With a quarter of the 2019-20 NBA season left, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers have established themselves as championship contenders.
At 48-13, the Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference by 5.5 games and silenced some doubters after beating the Milwaukee Bucks.
Despite foul trouble, Davis stepped up when it mattered most in the second half as he recorded a near double-double (30 points and nine rebounds).
With Davis in pursuit of his first championship, he assessed the Lakers at this point of the season and how they are still learning to play together.
“When we buckle down defensively and play the right way offensively — whether we make or miss shots — we’re a tough team to beat.
We show signs, but we have a lot to clean up. At the same time, we know where our potential is and if we are able to perform a game like that for 48 minutes, then we’ll be fine. We showed glimpses, but we’re still learning.”
After 61 games, Davis went into detail about opposing teams’ strategies.
“As an entire team, we’re trying to find a scheme that works for that because we know teams are trying to spread us out and make us guard around the three-point line,” Davis shared when asked about teams like the Bucks.
Although it was a statement win for the Lakers, Davis has the same mentality as LeBron James. Regardless of wins or losses, the Lakers are constantly learning, which has been an effective strategy in Year 1 together so far.
“We’re constantly learning and getting better,” Davis said.
“The more we talk defensively and figure things out on the fly, we’ll be fine.”