The Los Angeles Lakers won their third straight game on Monday night, defeating the Charlotte Hornets 124-118 to end their Grammy road trip 4-2. Anthony Davis was once again a force in every way, posting his second triple-double of the season with 26 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
Davis’ improved passing has been a big talking point lately as the Lakers’ big man has begun making teams pay for trying to double team him. He has posted at least five assists in seven of his last 11 games played and that ability really gives the Lakers another dimension offensively as he is finding teammates for wide-open looks regularly.
Teams have been double teaming Davis for most of his career, but it is only recently that his assist numbers have shot up and LeBron James spoke on exactly why he believes that is the case, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“The reads. It’s just that simple. Teams are trying to take the ball out of his hands because he’s so dynamic in the post and the low post. And they’re trying to force him to pass and it’s all about a growth mindset. He’s a student of the game and he watches the film, watches the clips. Not quite sure what you can do now. We all have to be in the right position, we’re just trying to be in the right position to have his back, to have outlet passes when he’s being doubled. The result tonight was another triple-double and that was his second this season.”
Davis is currently on pace to set a new career-high in assists per game this season and it has really jumped up recently. The big man is averaging 3.9 assists per game this season, but since January, that number has risen to just above five per game in 16 contests.
As LeBron noted, it is on the rest of the Lakers to be in the right positions in order for Davis to find them, as well as knocking down those open shots of course, and lately they have done an excellent job of doing just that.
Davis’ dominance in the paint has allowed more room to operate for the rest of the Lakers and now the big man is showing he is more than capable of finding them for easy buckets.
Lakers’ Anthony Davis gives his own explanation for his improved passing
Of course Anthony Davis himself was asked about his improved playmaking and credited his teammates movement without the ball, but also revealed the key for him to make those right reads.
The Lakers star said that once he knows where the double team is coming from it makes all the difference. If he knows that, then he knows where his teammates will be and can easily make that read and pass for the easy buckets.
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