A player earning praise from Kareem Abdul Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, is nothing to be glossed over.
A six-time champion and six-time MVP, Abdul-Jabbar is one of the three best players in league history. During a Monday night Twitter Q&A session, Abdul-Jabbar heaped praise on Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis, one of the NBA’s most talented and multi-faceted players.
Abdul-Jabbar said Davis resembles his style of play the most, with the ability to shoot 3-pointers the one skill that separates the two players’ respective games. Abdul-Jabbar played 10 seasons before the 3-point shot was implemented in 1979, but he only took 18 3-pointers during his 20-year career.
Davis has averaged 1.5 threes per game for his career, and he’s shot a total 770 3-pointers. He’s shot at a 31.9% clip from deep during his career.
Anthony Davis is the player that I mostly resemble but I never shot 3 pointers like he does.. However all other aspects of his game are similar to mine https://t.co/5sRO6fIFIY
— Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) March 24, 2020
Aside from the 3-pointer, Davis’ post-up game is similar to Abdul-Jabbar’s. Of course, Abdul Jabbar is one of the best post players ever, with his sky hook being the most unstoppable shot in basketball history. While Davis isn’t on Abdul-Jabbar’s level, he is one of the most skilled post players of his generation.
The modern game is nearly devoid of post-ups, with most teams opting to shoot 3-pointers, get to the free throw line, or score easy layups and dunks.
According to NBA.com stats, only 10 teams run at least 10 post-ups per game. The Lakers rank second behind the Philadelphia 76ers in the category, boasting 14.5 post-ups a game this season. Davis ranks among the top three in the NBA for post-ups a game (9.0), right behind leaders Joel Embiid and LaMarcus Aldridge, who both average 9.7 post-ups.
Davis is scoring 4.7 points per game on post-ups this season, which also ranks behind Embiid and Aldridge.
Though he could score with ease, Abdul-Jabbar was also a force on defense. He protected the rim well, and he could come over from the weak side to help. According to NBA.com stats, Abdul-Jabbar ranks third all-time in blocks (3,189), right behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo.
Before the NBA season went on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, Davis was a leading Defensive Player of the Year candidate.
He’s an instrumental part of the Lakers’ defense, which ranks first in blocks per game, sixth in opponent field goal percentage and third in opponent points per game. Davis is averaging 2.4 blocks this season, and he ranks seventh in contested shots per game (12.7).
Davis is one of the most skilled players of his era, and being in the prime of his career, he has a chance to continue building a legacy that Abdul-Jabbar and other legends can commend.
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