Anthony Davis is one of the rare players in the NBA who can dominate a game on both ends of the floor, but still somehow make it look easy.
Davis’s combination of size, skill, and basketball IQ allow him to make plays that most of the players in the league could only dream of doing and fortunately for the Los Angeles Lakers, he is on their side.
Offensively, Davis is as complete as they come as he is a pick-and-roll player who is able to finish lobs, but he is also capable of posting up one-on-one or shooting the midrange jumper.
However, Davis has been encouraged by head coach Frank Vogel to take more shots from distance and he has answered the call. He discussed his three-point shooting success after the team’s win against the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Just being confident with it. Just trying to be confident with the shot, trusting my shot. I put a lot of work into it and it’s just about taking game reps. Work on it before every game, every day before practice and just over the last probably month and a half, I’ve just been very confident with it, no hesitation to shoot it,” Davis said.
Coach said it opens up the floor for me, opens the floor for the team where teams are not as much and when I’m able to knock down a couple I’m able to show the pump fake and then drive and get a layup or pass for my team. Just still being confident for the rest of the season and through the playoffs with the shot.”
Davis dominated the 76ers as he finished the night with a double-double (37 points and 13 rebounds) while also adding four blocks and two steals in 39 minutes of action. However, the most impressive part of his performance was his outside shooting as he nailed 4-of-5 of attempts from the three-point line.
In the modern NBA, it is crucial for bigs to be able to stretch the floor and protect the rim on the other end and so far Davis has proven he can both at a high level. The shooting, in particular, is perhaps the most important part of his game as Los Angeles will need him to be aggressive from distance in order to keep opposing defenses honest.
As Davis gets more comfortable from deep, the purple and gold’s offense should only flourish from there and present even more problems for opposing teams.