Anthony Davis belongs to a select group of players whose physical attributes are always listed along with their skills. As if by the mere fact of uttering a series of objective parameters its star Los Angeles Lakers He would become the best of his generation. AD carried this plate, which translates to high and perpetual expectations since he set foot in the NBA.
The reality is that during his fairly long career in the league, only on a few occasions did he manage to combine physicality, technique and availability. But when he succeeded, Anthony Davis has proven to be a player like no other in this competition.
And that’s exactly what you’re doing right now Los Angeles Lakers.
subscribe to NBA League Pass to see all games: United States | The rest of the world
In a delicate moment about AD, in which his name had timidly begun to appear in the transfer rumoursAs a consequence of his poor level of play and the team’s negative results, the player has responded on the court. From singling out to praising him, nothing is more typical of the Lakers than such a change.
we just have to see his last three matches to verify the high performance of the 29-year-old figure:
- vs. Nets: 37 points on a 60% shooting percentage, 18 rebounds and 2 assists
- vs. Pistons: 38 points on a 62.5% shooting percentage, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks
- vs. spurs: 30 points on a 63.2% shooting percentage, 18 rebounds and 3 steals
Thanks to this excellent interior, the Lakers have won 3 of their 5 overall this season. And most importantly, all this without LeBron James, who is sidelined with a muscle injury. Anthony Davies has assumed the expected role of leader for now, commanding a very limited squad to renew the illusions of fans of the gold and purple.
In the vast and rich history of the Lakers, only Shaquille O’Neal had managed to chain at least 3 games with more than 30 points, 15 rebounds and over 60% shooting. Shaq did it in 2001, except AD has done it with 100% wins.
Despite the fact that the entity of the opponents against which the Angelenos have been measured has not been particularly remarkable, it is true that they have not failed, which had been the case in previous weeks. This explains why the Californians were the second best team during that period (+16.3 from net score), powered by an offense as effective as its defense.
With all the weight on Davies’ shoulders, he has responded and risen to the occasion. The Lakers needed wins, by all means, and the star delivered. Once again it proved that it is not a matter of being able or knowing, but wanting to do it and in this short period AD wanted to prove its status as the backbone of the project.
“I’m just imposing my will on both ends of the court, trying to be the dominant player that the team needs.”Davis said after the latest win. “Usually that will lead to us winning games or being in the race.”
A performance that finally confirmed the bet Darwin Hamm made upon his arrival: to make him the first attacking choice.
“AD should be the focus,” Hamm commented. “He has to lead the charge. This is the way we are built. He has assumed it. When LeBron comes back, if Davis can maintain that level, we’ll be as good as our conditioning allows us to be.”
Last week Anthony Davis put on a fantastic performance around the rim, dexcluding the region in each of their matches (79.3%). Not so as he drove away from the rim, going 0-of-3 on 3-pointers and 5-of-10 from mid-range. Low volume, consistent accuracy.
For all the positives that might be, the key for the Lakers player is to somehow maintain his production. That is, be firm. Something that doesn’t always go hand in hand when talking about Davis. The Californians and the player need him like rain in May.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
