• Anthony Davis was called the best defensive player of his era
• The take came from The Volume’s Jason Timpf
• Timpf argues that what Davis has shown defensively through the 2020 playoffs proves he has the highest defensive ceiling in the NBA
Anthony Davis is a standout two-way player, but his defense is a far better asset than his scoring ability. Jason Timpf believes that Davis could have a claim to the throne of the best defender of this era if he was healthy more often.
“Anthony Davis, when we look back at this era, his claim to fame is that he’s the best defensive player of this era when he’s healthy. I have never seen anyone reach the individual defensive ceiling that AD reached in the 2020 playoffs. When it comes to defensive impact on a game by one player on a series, I don’t think anyone in this era can touch what Anthony Davis has been able to do.”
“He's the best defensive player of this era when he's healthy.”
– @_JasonLT on Anthony Davis
(Via @TheVolumeSports )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 29, 2023
It’s hard to call someone with no Defensive Player of the Year trophies the best defender of his era. However, I am inclined to agree with Timpf because when we’ve seen AD locked in and healthy, there’s no player that can defend as well as him.
We saw this play out in the 2023 playoffs as well, where Davis became the undisputed best defensive player in the NBA and stifled every matchup until the Lakers faced a mismatch against dominant eventual champions, the Denver Nuggets.
Anthony Davis’ Defense Couldn’t Stop The Best
We have a very recent example to draw upon when looking at the major flaws in AD’s game defensively. As he’s gotten older and more injury-prone, his movement on defense has suffered. He’s still one of the best shot-blockers and help defenders, but he can’t guard one-on-one situations like he used to.
Nikola Jokic proved that the way Davis defends can be easily broken apart by a high-IQ player. Whether it’s attracting Davis to create an open look in the paint or dribbling by the Lakers’ center and hitting an impossible shot, Jokic annihilated the defensive monster that was supposed to lock him up. He averaged 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists.
Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Draymond Green have a better healthy record as well as accolades to be in the conversation for the best defender of this era. AD is a generational talent, but never being healthy enough to even win a DPOY is going to haunt his all-time status.
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