i wrote about how anthony davis’ prime is perfectly timed to demolish an NBA that isn’t built to deal with a center who’s suddenly the best player alive: https://t.co/Wo7W0kuWC5
— Michael Pina (@MichaelVPina) October 3, 2020
The Warriors inspired every team to embrace small ball. Davis and the Lakers may force the NBA to move beyond it.
Entering the 2019-2020 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers consisted of two great players and a disheveled supporting cast. Their preseason over/under came in several games below the Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers, while data-fueled projection systems gave them almost no chance to win it all. Yes, they finally traded for Anthony Davis, but in doing so the Lakers gave up a treasure chest of assets and, after Kawhi Leonard spurned them to join the Los Angeles Clippers, any real depth.
Fast forward a year. Not only did a surprisingly cohesive Lakers team easily earn the number one seed in the Western Conference, they also rolled through the playoffs while major rivals wilted. Through the first two games in these Finals, they’re dominating an injury-riddled Miami Heat. There are a number of reasons for this—LeBron James’ VIP residency in the fountain of youth and coach Frank Vogel’s defensive wit included—but the number one factor, and the reason they look set to contend for titles the foreseeable future, is simple: Anthony Davis.
Today’s small-ball NBA was not programmed for centers to thrive. The post-up has gone the way of the DVD. Offensive rebounds belong in a bygone era. Speed is good and threes are gold. There’s no one reason for this evolution, but the Warriors’ ascent captures some of the big ones. For the past five years, most contenders have tried to build themselves in Golden State’s image. Doing so required explosive, perimeter-oriented offense and rangy defenders; interchangeable skill-sets without any fixed position.
So what happens when a center becomes the best player in the world at the exact same time a majority of the league has decided his position is obsolete? The answer is Superman moving to a planet that just destroyed all of its Kryptonite. And Davis is Superman. Nevermore than in Game 2 of the Finals, when he scored 32 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and only missed five of his 20 shots.
Great article by Michael Pina for GQ. Love that last paragraph:
“So what happens when a center becomes the best player in the world at the exact same time a majority of the league has decided his position is obsolete? The answer is Superman moving to a planet that just destroyed all of its Kryptonite. And Davis is Superman.”