Because of Anthony Davis‘ dominance on the court, the Los Angeles Lakers are having a great season. Under head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers’ system has been focused on having Davis as the first option. The demand for AD to become the No. option has been considered, but this is the only time it has been consistently implemented.
The Lakers are presently 3-1, including a brief three-game winning streak, thanks to Davis’ offensive aggression. The All-Star center is posting a career-high in scoring, averaging 32.8 points. He’s also contributed in other aspects of the game with 12.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Defensively, AD has been a reliable force, rejecting 2.5 shots through four games.
On Tuesday’s episode of “Gil’s Arena,” former NBA star Kenyon Martin credited the Lakers for making Davis the center of their system this season.
“Anthony Davis doing his thing right now,” Martin said. “Just want him to sustain it, keep it going. If you look at the numbers from last year, you would think it was a continued, dominated performance throughout the year. But we all know, it was a roller coaster of performances.”
“If he can level that out, now he takes over being number one for that team. You do this night it, night out, getting to the free throw line, putting pressure on the defense, shooting double digit free throws every night. Take the pressure off LeBron of always having to playmake and be the aggressor in all the situations. That’s gonna be a continuous thing.”
Anthony Davis takes over as Lakers #1 option 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/WITAf3KqoF
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) October 29, 2024
Davis has taken the initiative and asserted himself as the team’s first option. His teammate, LeBron James, has been able to focus on creating plays. This season, AD has scored at least 30 points three times, attempting more shots from the field. The defensive big man is averaging 20.0 shots from the field, more than his 16.9 attempts last season.
His health has also affected his play this year. So far this season, he hasn’t been injured or hurt, allowing him to be part and the reason for the team’s early season success.
Anthony Davis shares the same passion as the Lakers’ head coach
On Monday, the Lakers failed to get a win against the Phoenix Suns, who protected their home court, 109-105. After the game, there were reports that head coach JJ Redick was fuming for losing a close one. After their defeat, Anthony Davis admitted to reporters that he wasn’t feeling too upbeat either.
“But yeah, he’s pretty pissed. We’re all pissed just because of how well we’re playing. No one likes to lose and I think everyone in here is a competitor where every loss you kind of take pretty heavy. So we’ll watch film tomorrow and then get ready for a team that’s been kicking ass,” Davis said.
Anthony Davis on JJ Redick taking accountability for the loss:
"He's pissed… I think it's on all of us, not just on him… We scored 14 points, the players, so there's things we can do better as a group."
— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) October 29, 2024
Davis and the Lakers look to bounce back on Wednesday as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen with Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.