Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers certainly has many critics, and the false narrative they peddle is that he is wildly inconsistent on offense from game to game. But one thing that cannot be denied is how much of a beast he is defensively.
On Friday, he scored only 16 points, shot a subpar percentage and had trouble getting to the free-throw line. But his 14 rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals were a major factor in the Lakers’ 107-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Davis talked about his role on defense and made a football analogy to playing on a team’s defensive line, as a linebacker and in its secondary.
Anthony Davis describes his duty on the defensive end for the Lakers as “everything” pic.twitter.com/tKpc2CLToT
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 18, 2023
What makes him unique is that he not only blocks shots, protects the rim and deters dribble penetration, but he can also switch out on to the perimeter and guard players at multiple positions.
The superstar big man is averaging 11.8 rebounds and an NBA-high 3.5 blocks a game, continuing the defensive dominance he displayed in last season’s playoffs. Perhaps he’s gunning for his first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award.