Anthony Davis hasn’t suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers officially yet, but he’s already focused on what the team needs from him for the 2019-20 NBA season.
Acquired via a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, Davis hopes to combine with LeBron James to form a one-two punch capable of leading the Lakers back to an NBA championship.
In order to get there, Davis believes that he is going to need to become a more efficient three-point shooter and has spent his summer working on it. On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane takes a look at what kind of impact Davis could have if he is successful in his efforts to improve his outside shot.
At 6’10”, Davis is primarily known for his work in the paint on both ends of the floor. His quickness allows him to get his shot off against most bigs while his long arms and exceptional timing make him one of the most fearsome rim protectors in the NBA.
However, Davis has begun incorporating the three ball into his arsenal, taking 2.6 per game last season. He only knocked down 33% of them, which isn’t quite good enough to keep defenses honest, but it’s not a shot that looks uncomfortable for him. What’s particularly encouraging is the fact that Davis actually hit 37% of his threes that came in catch-and-shoot situations, which he is certain to see plenty of when defenses are distracted trying to bottle up James.
Last season, the Lakers tried to buck conventional wisdom by assembling a team of playmakers to surround James rather than shooters, which has historically been the way to go. Things didn’t work out the way that they hoped and general manager Rob Pelinka spent the summer righting that wrong by adding Danny Green, Quinn Cook, Troy Daniels, and more.
Unfortunately, one of the team’s biggest signings of the summer — DeMarcus Cousins — was lost to an ACL injury and the floor spacing he would have provided also disappears.
With Davis set on playing power forward and limiting his minutes at center (a plan the Lakers are on board with), the need for him to be able to knock down threes grows since he will be sharing the floor with a non-shooter in either Dwight Howard or JaVale McGee.
Davis is already close to being a good three-point shooter but if his work pays off, his game could reach a whole new level, which could pay major dividends for the Lakers.
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