Dallas Mavericks point guard Spencer Dinwiddie recently praised Lakers superstar Anthony Davis, lauding his defense game. Having played with Davis during his time with the purple and gold, Dinwiddie gave the big man credit for making his defensive job simpler. He clarified that knowing that Davis would handle the rest, his presence freed him up to concentrate on forcing offensive players to work.
Dinwiddie’s remarks brought attention to Davis’s outstanding defensive abilities, which have made him a nightmare for other teams. This season, Anthony Davis is giving his team a major edge on both ends of the court with an average of 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
In particular, his ability to block shots has changed the game, giving the Lakers control and enabling quick breakouts.
Just don’t pull a three in my face…, like speeds you up a little bit tryna like get you off your handles, get you to the paint, he going block your shot, shot the lob, take it, start the break. I’m like yo, this is a cheat code.
Spencer Dinwiddie said on the Draft Kings podcast
spencer dinwiddie says he felt like a elite defender with AD backing him up and calls him a “cheat code” pic.twitter.com/JJnmDaEBww
— cam🅿️ (@1cameronj) December 23, 2024
The Los Angeles Lakers’ competitiveness this season has been greatly influenced by Davis’s defensive skills. Davis has continuously shown that he can have an impact on the game on the defensive end, even though he hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves as a defender.
Davis’ defensive efforts have advantages that go beyond his personal stats. The Lakers have a major advantage in terms of possessions and scoring opportunities because of his ability to block shots and protect the paint.
LeBron James remains confident in teammate Anthony Davis
The Los Angeles Lakers narrowly escaped with a 103-99 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, thanks to a crucial sequence of events in the final seconds. Austin Reaves was fouled and made two clutch free throws to seal the victory, bailing out teammate Anthony Davis who had missed two critical free throws just moments earlier.
However, LeBron James expressed his complete trust in the fellow veteran. He said post-game:
I think that as a player, that stuff can wear on you. I trust him, I believe in him. To be in these situations again, and I’m confident he’s going to make the shot. This and the Orlando game, I’m not deterred in terms of having the basketball in his hands, you know, with under 30 seconds.
LeBron James on Anthony Davis
Davis’ missed free throws, with 12 seconds left in the game, were eerily reminiscent of a similar situation last month against the Orlando Magic. In that game, Davis’ missed free throws allowed Franz Wagner to hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, dealing the Lakers a heartbreaking loss.
Luckily for the Lakers, forward Rui Hachimura‘s quick thinking helped to offset Davis’ errors. He batted out the rebound to Reaves, setting up the game-winning free throws. After struggling with inconsistency this season, the Lakers’ tight escape was a great relief.
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