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Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James, Anthony Davis can be the best duo in NBA

By Addam Goldman

(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Let’s examine how LeBron James and Anthony Davis can work together to become the most dominate pair of teammates in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers just agreed to trade Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, and three 1st round picks for Anthony Davis, in a deal that might shift the balance of power in the NBA for the next few seasons.

Lakers fans have been salivating for months over the possibility of Anthony Davis joining LeBron James in LA because both players are superstars. However, this pairing goes beyond the fact that they are two of the top 15 players in the NBA, LBJ and AD’s offensive repertoire’s match perfectly.

When Chris Bosh played for the Toronto Raptors he was primarily a post player. When he joined forces with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade he had to change his style of play because his proficiency in the lane wasn’t needed. Chris Bosh was often times relegated as a spot up shooter on the Heat, who was asked to stand behind the arc to open up the lane for either a LeBron James drive or a Dwyane Wade attack at the rim. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh weren’t great fits with each other, but they won based on their talent.

Kevin Love was a great post player and a very efficient 3-point shooter when he played for the Timberwolves. In the summer of 2014 after LeBron James came back to his hometown of Cleveland, the Cavaliers picked up Kevin Love in a trade. Love was put in a similar situation as Chris Bosh was in Miami.

He was asked to sacrifice his post-game and during his time with LeBron on the Cavs, he generally stood at the 3-point line so that Kyrie Irving and James could work in space off of one-on-one plays. In the end the Cavaliers, like the Heat, also won a championship, but the fit between their three All-Stars was clunky.

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A James and Davis tandem will be different, because unlike Bosh and Love, AD is a great pick-and-roll player. In fact, James and Davis will be able to form the most devastating pick-and-roll duo in the league.

During the 2018-2019 season LeBron James scored 0.98 points per possession as the ball handler out of pick-and-rolls, good for 24th in the NBA (minimum 2 possessions per game). One of the biggest reasons why James was so efficient out of pick-and-rolls last year was because of his ability to finish 76% of his shots at the rim.

Last season was a wonky year for Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. First AD suffered a finger injury and then after he requested a trade to the Lakers it destroyed his chemistry with his teammates, so his stats were skewed.

Instead of using his 2018-2019 numbers, Let’s use his 2017-2018 statistics, which paint a better picture of the type of player Davis really is.

During the 2017-2018 season, Davis was the tenth best roll man in the league (minimum 2 possessions per game) averaging 1.16 points per possession. Davis, like James is a beast when he gets close to the rim. He leverages his incredible length and athleticism to make nearly ¾ of his shots close to the rim.

Here’s how Anthony Davis shot from 0-3 feet over the last three seasons:

2016-2017: 70%

2017-2018: 74%

2018-2019: 77%

James and Davis aren’t just good in pick-and-roll play types because of their ability to finish at the rim. If defenses start to pack the paint and fend off dunk attempts, then Anthony Davis can pick and pop.

Here are Anthony Davis’s midrange shooting statistics from 2017-2018:

3-10 feet: 48%

10-16 feet: 43%

If teams decide to send a third defender to break up a James pick-and-roll, then he uses his height and high basketball IQ to find cutters at the basket or to make crazy cross court flings to open shooters standing behind the arc.  During the 2018-2019 season he averaged 16 potential assists good for 2nd in the NBA.

Now that the Lakers have acquired Davis, all the front office has to do is surround them with shooters to help spread the floor, then Purple and Gold would be unstoppable on offense next season.

Luckily for the Lakers some of the best spot up shooters in the NBA are heading into the summer as free agents.

Here’s a few of the best 2019 free agents who are in the top 10% in the NBA in spot up shooting:

If the Purple and Gold don’t have enough money to land another super star in free agency, here’s an example of a realistic roster LA could open the 2019-2020 season with.

Starters:

  • SG: Seth Curry
  • SG: Terrence Ross
  • SF: LeBron James
  • PF: Kyle Kuzma
  • C: Anthony Davis

Bench:

First of all, the Lakers wouldn’t need a traditional point guard in the starting lineup, instead James could play point forward.

Secondly, the roster shown above would form into the ultimate pick your poison offense. If teams decided to use only two players to guard a James/Davis pick-and-roll then they’d be allowing two of the best finishers in the NBA to attack the rim.

However, if teams send a third player to help thwart LBJ and AD in pick and roll situations then they’d be allowing one of the best passers in the NBA (James) to find a top-tier open shooter standing behind the arc.

Next. 3 Reasons to pursue D'Angelo Russell in free agency. dark

The roster listed above is the worst option for the Lakers next season, but it’s still a championship contender. If the Lakers do have enough money to land a super star like Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, or Jimmy Butler then the Purple and Gold would vault from one of the championship contenders in the NBA to the team to beat.

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