Although he missed several weeks due to a right foot stress injury, Anthony Davis had a whale of a regular season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
He averaged 25.9 points and 2.0 blocks per game, and his rebounding average (12.5) and shooting accuracy (56.3 percent) were both career highs. He also put up a whopping 11 30-point, 15-rebound games this season, and he was often a nightmare for opposing teams.
Against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs, Davis won’t be facing starting center Steven Adams, who is likely out for the series with a knee injury, but he will have to deal with big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who is a leading candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Davis needs to consistently play up to his standards against Memphis, and if he does these three things in particular, the Lakers should have a great chance of advancing.
Dominate the boards
Without Adams, the Grizzlies could have problems in the rebounding department. He averaged 11.5 rebounds a game during the regular season, and none of his teammates grabbed as many as seven rebounds a contest.
The stage could be set for Davis to be a one-man backboard eraser, and it’s something he did against Memphis in the regular season.
He had 19 rebounds in his first meeting against it and 22 rebounds the second time he met Ja Morant and crew in the regular season.
Davis’ ability to follow his own shot and get second-shot opportunities will also help neutralize the Grizzlies’ dangerous transition game.
Get to the free throw line early and often (and make free throws)
When Davis is on his game, one thing he does that annoys opponents is draw fouls and collect lots of opportunities at the free throw line. He averaged 7.9 free throw attempts a game in the regular season, and he had a combined 22 foul shot attempts in his two games versus Memphis.
In those two meetings, Jackson found himself in foul trouble, committing five fouls apiece in those contests. Davis getting him in foul trouble during this upcoming playoff series would greatly help L.A., as Jackson would have to go to the bench, resulting in Memphis being devoid of a player who led the NBA in blocked shots per game.
Davis has improved his free throw accuracy from 71.3 percent last season to 78.4 percent this season. However, he has had trouble converting from the charity stripe late in close games, and he will need to rectify that issue fast.
Overcome double teams
Later in the regular season, opponents found success against Davis by double-teaming him, mostly when he got the ball on the block, but sometimes before he got the ball.
This strategy has cut off his ability to drive past his defenders into the paint or set up the mid-range jumper.
Davis will need to find ways to get deep position early in the shot clock before the Grizzlies can swarm him. In addition, he will need to run the floor and either get layups and dunks on the fast break, or simply put himself in position for relatively easy chippies early in possessions.
Not all of the onus to overcome double teams falls on Davis, though. His teammates, as well as head coach Darvin Ham, need to put him in position to succeed offensively. One key could be involving him in pick-and-rolls early in the shot clock and getting him the ball in the paint going toward the basket while in motion.
He will also need to not be tempted to attack Jackson himself all the time, knowing that Jackson is such a prolific rim protector. Instead, Davis will need to draw Jackson away and make the next pass to a teammate in the paint, or get the ball out to the perimeter and try to get Jackson and the Grizzlies out of position defensively.
