Anthony Davis has always been vocal about his preference to play at the power forward position instead of the center position. In fact, it was the last major topic he discussed as a Lakers player before he was traded to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic.
During an interview with Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth after the Mavericks’ media day, Anthony Davis opened up on why he prefers playing as a power forward instead of a center, despite being seven feet tall, which is the perfect height to play as a center.
“I just want to win. So I mean, we have two great you know fives, Gafford and Lively. So, um, there’s not much five that I really need to play cause one of them will probably be on the floor. In a case where neither’s on the floor, you know, I’ve played five.”
“And my thing was never about, you know, five or four or anything like that. It was about just playing a five the entire game, you know, for the entire season, just a little bit more wear and tear on your body.”
“And I didn’t do that until my second year in LA, right? The first year we won it was JaVale and Dwight. And before that, in New Orleans, I was never the five. I was always the four. So it was just different, for me, playing the five. And I just felt like, um, I was better at the four.”
“Now, did I play five, at times in LA and New Orleans? Absolutely. But for the entire season, if we’re talking about the entire season, then I prefer the four, but you know, we’re talking about games, you know, even going to playoffs.”
“Like, hey, playoffs, you know, I get it. It’s all about matchups and what we’re trying to do offensively. You know, then if that happens, where Jason Kidd’s like, “Yo, we need you to play the five.” Then that’s what it takes, you know, to win. But I’ve stressed it to JK, Nico; they understand, and I’m putting my trust in them.”
Let’s look at the statistical comparison to see if there is any truth to what Davis is saying.
During the 2019-20 championship season with the Lakers, Anthony Davis claimed he played at the power forward position for the entire time. He averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 33% from beyond the three-point line.
In the subsequent four seasons where he fully played for the Lakers, averaging 24.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 24.8% from beyond the arc. In his final season with the Lakers, i.e, 2024-25, he averaged 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 29.8% from beyond the arc before he was traded to the Mavericks in February.
Therefore, while his rebounding improved, his scoring output and efficiency from beyond the arc both suffered. Hence, with two alternative centers in the roster, Davis can expect to fully play at the power forward position throughout the season and only step in at the center position in emergencies. I anticipate an increase in his scoring output but almost certainly a fall in his rebounding numbers in the coming 2025-26 season, as he would go through much less ‘wear and tear’ as a power forward.
