All season long, Anthony Davis has had the same refrain when talking about what is going to set the Lakers apart — their defense.
It might not be what you’d expect from the new iteration of the Showtime Lakers. But when you look at the roster they’ve assembled, which features AD, LeBron James, former three-time DPOY Dwight Howard, and Avery Bradley, not to mention the fact that they’re coached by Frank Vogel, it makes sense.
Any team with LeBron and AD is going to score buckets. But this team is built to defend.
The Lakers showed that on Sunday night, welcoming the league’s most efficient offense in the Dallas Mavericks to the Staples Center and shutting them down, holding them to 36% shooting in a 108-95 win.
After the game, Davis said: “We were able to get back to what we do defensively. And when we do that, we’re able to beat any team and feel good about ourselves.”
A huge part of that was due to Avery Bradley, who was tasked with guarding the sensational Luka Doncic. Bradley owned the young Slovenian guard, holding him to 1-of-6 shooting while he was the primary defender.
The Lakers threw some zone at the Mavericks as well, further junking things up, and showing that they can go to other looks when needed.
With the right players on the floor, the Lakers are a defensive menace. They’ve got three rim protectors in Davis, Howard, and JaVale McGee. Davis is such a good shooter at the offensive end that they don’t sacrifice spacing by having him and another big on the floor at the same time, so the Lakers have the power to do what a lot of teams don’t — get serious size on the floor.
When the Lakers are locked in, they can run Bradley as the primary on-ball defender, then have Davis and Howard anchoring things. Toss in LeBron James in the free safety role he likes, swarming and doubling when he sees opportunities, and they’re a nightmare to play against.
The man who makes it all possible is Davis, a Swiss Army Knife who can protect the rim, or head out and close out shooters on the perimeter. His length and quickness can cover up others’ mistakes. Most coaches have to choose between protecting the paint or having someone who can close out on a shooter. With Davis, Frank Vogel doesn’t have to choose. He gets both.
It all resulted in the Mavericks having their worst offensive night of the season, and a blueprint for the Lakers going forward. It may not be Showtime, exactly, but defense can get them a title.
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