It is no secret how valuable Anthony Davis is on the defensive end for the Los Angeles Lakers. On the young season, Davis is averaging 3.5 blocks in 12 games, building an early resume for Defensive Player of the Year.
The big man is coming off a five-block, three-steal game on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers to advance the Lakers to 3-0 in In-Season Tournament group play. His offense has taken a hit as he shot 8-for-19 from the field on Friday and 3-for-9 from the field on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings.
Davis has taken pride in being an exceptional defender and helping the team however he can. He was asked what his role on defense is after being referred as a linebacker by head coach Darvin Ham, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Everything. I’m the D-line, the linebacker, safety, cornerback, everything. I’m everywhere. Just try to be there for the team. Like I told the guys, just pressure the ball and funnel them to me and I’m gonna help you guys and if I go try to block a shot or alter a shot then you guys just crack back on whoever the big is. Tonight it was Ayton and beating him on the glass to get the rebound. So I just try to be that anchor for the guys knowing that they got protection on the back line, which gives them enough confidence to go out and pressure the ball. Cam does a great job of it with some steals tonight, DLo, Bron, Rui, AR, TP, just try to get guys to get into the players and make them feel uncomfortable. And if they go by you by doing so, just know that you got help on the back line.”
With the addition of Cam Reddish to the starting lineup, D’Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince, LeBron James can all be aggressive on the perimeter due to having Davis on the back line. It is a luxury for the Lakers to have a player of his caliber that can protect the rim at a high level while having the ability to step out on the perimeter and hold his own.
It seems that Davis’ hip is still bothering him and isn’t quite back to 100% quite yet, but his defense remains a constant and has been able to showcase that thus far. But, his offense is going to have to turn around to alleviate the pressure off his co-star LeBron James.
Davis turns focus to defense as hip issue continues to bother him
After his debacle on Wednesday against the Kings, it was abundantly clear that he was not at full strength with his hip clearly hindering him. After the win on Friday, Davis admitted that he is focused on holding his own on defense as he works through this injury.
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