Watch Anthony Davis put up 43 points, 23 rebounds, but what he really wants is DPOY

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Los Angeles Lakers v Charlotte Hornets

When Anthony Davis is rolling he is as good as any big man in the league — and he was rolling Monday night in Charlotte.

Going against what’s left of the Hornets’ big man core, Davis was getting to the rim at will, finishing lobs from teammates, and he was 4-of-7 from the midrange — plus he dominated the glass — on his way to 42 points and 23 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a win in Charlotte.

The points are nice, but what Davis really wants is a Defensive Player of the Year award — and he doesn’t think he has a chance to get it this year, he told Shams Charania of ESPN.

“I feel the narrative is being pushed for Wemby to get it, right? He’s averaging, what, like four blocks or something crazy like that [3.9], but then it goes back to, are we talking about just blocks? I don’t know how anything works anymore.”

Is Davis underrated as a defender? Maybe, although less in basketball circles than he might believe, everyone knows what he is capable of when dialed in. Is the narrative leaning toward Victor Wembanyama? Probably.

Wembanyama also has been a better, more consistent defender this season. I had Wembanyama as my mid-season Defensive Player of the Year and Davis wasn’t in the top three. There are reasons for that and it’s not blocks per game — although those blocks speak to how many more shots per game Wembanyama alters or forces a player to reconsider and not take. The last time I saw Wembanyama play in person was against Davis and the Lakers on Jan. 13, and twice that night, a Lakers player (Dorian Finney-Smith once, Gabe Vincent once) drove past a close-out into the lane to score at the rim or put up a floater, only to have to stop, pivot, and kick the ball back out because there was no way he could make a play with Wemby in the lane.

However, it’s more than the eye test. As someone who has been honored that the NBA has given a postseason awards vote in recent years, Defensive Player of the Year is one award where I talk to scouts and other people in the league more to get their thoughts because stats and my eye don’t capture the picture (Coach of the Year is the…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-anthony-davis-put-43-170359883.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2025-01-28 17:03:00

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