Anthony Davis is regarded as one of the league’s most versatile big men, and he has often been called a “unicorn”. He is a player with unique switching ability on the defensive end as a big man, and his offensive game involves shooting from the perimeter and handling the ball at times.
Despite the fact that he was a solid enough shooter for a big man in previous years, this year Anthony Davis has struggled with his shot. Prior to being sidelined with injury, Anthony Davis was only shooting 17.9% from the 3PT range. At one point, he had the worst percentage in NBA history among players with 2 or more attempts from beyond the arc.
Anthony Davis has obviously been working hard on rehabbing his knee injury in order to return to the court. That isn’t the only thing he has been working on though, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that he was improving his shot mechanics during the injury layoff.
Davis was averaging 23.3 points on 52.1% shooting, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals this season prior to the injury. His jump shot, however, had been off. Davis is shooting just 60-for-185 (32%) on shots outside the paint this season, according to NBA.com.
Davis has used the rehabilitation to work on not only his knee but his shot mechanics as well, sources told ESPN.
Hopefully, we see Anthony Davis’ work pay dividends, and perhaps he will end up shooting better percentages on his jumpers after he comes back. If Davis can space the floor at an acceptable level, that would greatly help the slashers on the Los Angeles Lakers such as LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and Talen Horton-Tucker.
The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t been great this year, but perhaps Anthony Davis’ return will give them a boost. They will still be a dangerous team in the playoffs, and their talent suggests they will be a tough opponent for anyone in the West.
