Throughout most of the 16-2 start for the Los Angeles Lakers in the first month of the season, the conversation has often been about a change on the defensive end by LeBron James who had been maligned for his defense over the past couple of seasons.
But a concurrent storyline to LeBron’s defensive renaissance has been the play and leadership of Anthony Davis on that end. Davis leads the NBA in blocked shots through the first 18 games of the season and he’s making a strong case for his first ever Defensive Player of the Year award as he anchors the No. 2 defense in defensive efficiency, according to Basketball Reference.
LeBron James added his voice to that case for DPOY on Friday afternoon ahead of their game against the Washington Wizards.
No one lie told here! Simply a animal on that end of the floor! Oh and guess he’s not so bad on the other end too! Ha! #ADDPOY https://t.co/GBA9jon6tC
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 29, 2019
James deserves plenty of credit for how this season has unfolded, telling Davis that he was a priority offensively while also letting Davis lead on the defensive end to make the Lakers one of the best defenses in the league. But being the teammate he is, James is speaking even louder about Davis to make sure The Brow’s heroic efforts get just as much shine as LeBron’s league-leading assist lead and defensive turnaround.