As LeBron James kicks off the final stages of his career, Anthony Davis is expected to take on an increasingly larger role on the Lakers. In the meantime, GM/Vice President Rob Pelinka intends to make it easier for Davis by complying with his demands to play with more size on the court.
“One thing Davis has made clear to the Lakers is his preference to play alongside another big more often,” reported ESPN’s Dave McMenamin in his latest article. “The Lakers are thin in the middle going into the season with Christian Wood expected to be out for at least eight weeks following left knee surgery, leaving Jaxson Hayes and two-way player Colin Castleton as the only other healthy centers on the roster.”
Anthony Davis played point guard growing up until he hit a growth spurt in High School that made him nearly 7 feet tall. In the NBA, Davis initially played power forward before the NBA’s three-point explosion eventually forced him to slide down to center. Historically, Davis has always been more comfortable at the four spot but he was willing to play out of his natural position to help the Lakers win.
Under Darvin Ham, Anthony Davis spent most of his time at center while LeBron James ran the point and Rui Hacimura played with Austin Reaves or D’Angelo Russell on the perimeter. While the extra floor spacing was a boost to the offense, the Lakers didn’t have enough shooting to take advantage of it and they had no way to make up for the decline on defense.
But now, with Darvin Ham gone and JJ Redick in his place, Davis is itching for more time with another center on the court so he can play more freely and lose with the ball. It was with other bigs, after all, that Davis led the Lakers to their title win in 2020 and Davis believes a similar strategy could get them back to a good place in the West this season.
The biggest question now is which player is attainable for the Lakers to get. We already know about the Lakers’ potential pursuit of Jonas Valanciunas, but other centers could also be on the table for a reasonable price, such as Wendell Carter Jr., Mitchell Robinson, or Steven Adams.
Whoever the Lakers get, it needs to be someone who compliments Davis’ game and covers for some of the weaker aspects of his game. With limited assets to work with, it may be impossible for the Lakers to find the right trade but JJ Redick will do whatever it takes to put his players in a position to succeed.
As the new face of the franchise and their future, Anthony Davis needs to stay happy for the Lakers to have any chance at avoiding disaster. With powerful foes like the Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Mavericks looking stronger than ever, the odds are stacked against the Purple and Gold this season but there is still hope for an upset.
As Davis and LeBron James work hard to keep the Lakers competitive Rob Pelinka and his team will be searching far and wide for any avenues to improvement. If something fair comes their way, the Lakers will not hesitate to mix things up and build a team that can cater to the strengths of their top players.
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