Anthony Davis Offers a Glimpse of Los Angeles Lakers' Futurehttps://t.co/XfYUwfJMjj via @BleacherReport
— LakerTom (@LakerTom) August 22, 2020
“This is the Anthony Davis, I want EVERY NIGHT,” The Athletic’s Ry Cole tweeted Thursday, and the league is more likely to get that when he’s at the 5 and LeBron is still on the floor.
This is undoubtedly one of the most talented duos ever put together. Their chemistry seemed to be there almost instantly, which has a lot to do with LeBron possibly planting the seeds for a peaceful transition of power.
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And all of this versatility comes from the physical frame of a traditional 5, which is where Davis should eventually wind up as a Laker.
On Thursday, he played just under 10 minutes without JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard on the floor. Throw LeBron into that equation and you might have L.A.’s title-winning lineup.
On the season, the Lakers are plus-14.3 points per 100 possessions with LeBron on the floor and Davis at the 5 (compared to plus-5.3 when LeBron is on and AD is at the 4).
There aren’t many, if any, centers who can effectively handle all the different ways AD scores. Old-school, more lumbering types can be pulled away from the rim for isos and jumpers. Try a smaller, more mobile player on him and Davis will punish him as a roller or post player.
Surrounding AD with more shooting makes his scoring opportunities easier, too.
“Is size just overrated in this league?” ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz asked on The Lowe Post. “‘Built for the playoffs.’ What the hell does that mean? Built for the playoffs now means, ‘Do you have four shooters on the floor?'”
If perimeter defenders have to pay attention to Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it’s tougher to double Davis or pack the paint, and that leads to better looks. In 2019-20, the Kentucky product had a scorching 58.3 effective field-goal percentage when McGee and Howard were off the floor. It was a below-average 50.5 percent when he shared the floor with either center.
The bigger impact of Davis at the 5 may be on defense, though. In those “LeBron on the floor and Davis at the 5” lineups, the Lakers give up just 100.2 points per 100 possessions (99th percentile).
Great offensive and defensive stats for Anthony Davis at the five WITH LeBron James. Rotating the two superstars is a great plan during the regular season but it’s smarter in the playoffs when they both play over 40 minutes to play them together a lot because of their dominance when on the court. We may see more of this the deeper we get into the playoffs.
The Lakers are a better team with Davis at the five at both ends of the court and AD, like LeBron, plays better when he’s at the five. As the Laker get deeper into the playoff gauntlet, we will see less of McGee and Howard and more of Davis at the five.
Unlike Shaq. : (