Every time the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis has a bad game, as he did on Wednesday when he scored just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting, clusters of fans take to social media to complain about him in hyperbolic fashion. Some even claim the Lakers should trade him and that the team would be much better off without him.
In Friday’s 107-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers, Davis played better offensively, but he was still subpar, as he shot 8-of-19 and scored only 16 points. Still, he drew many double teams and helped the team achieve victory.
During the game, Spectrum SportsNet, the Los Angeles-based station that broadcasts Lakers games, showed a graphic that illustrated just how effective Davis has been in the post this season.
"SHOULD THE LAKERS TRADE ANTHONY DAVIS" – every casual on planet earth pic.twitter.com/LomdPoYd6K
— 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙎𝙝𝙪𝙗𝙝 ⁶𓅓 (@OVOLakeShow) November 18, 2023
One thing the team needs to do a better job of, especially when Davis isn’t being aggressive or shooting well, is to get him the ball in the paint more often, either in the low post or simply on the move going toward the hoop. Good things happen for the Lakers in their set offense when they do just that.
None of this even touches on all the great things the superstar big man does defensively or on the boards. He gobbled up 14 rebounds, blocked five shots and had three steals on Friday, and as a result, he’s fourth in the NBA in rebounds per game and tops in blocks per game.
Perhaps this will be the season Davis finally wins the Defensive Player of the Year award.
