3. He’s a great rebounder
Defense isn’t just about stopping your opponent, it’s also about getting the ball back. As the old basketball saying goes, you can’t run if you don’t have the ball.
Or, as Pat Riley, coach of the Showtime Lakers, loved to say, no rebounds, no rings.
Anthony Davis is about as elite as it gets in that department. He has a career average of 10.5 boards a game, and the last three seasons he has upped that to 11.6 per game.
This past season, his per-36 rebounding average was a super strong 13.1 per game.
LeBron James has been saddled in recent seasons with the immense load of not only being his team’s main ball-handler, playmaker and scoring threat, but also being his team’s leading or second-leading rebounder. Next season he won’t have to worry about the rebounding part as much because of Davis, and to a lesser extent, McGee and DeMarcus Cousins.
This should allow James to leak out after an opponent’s miss and look for an outlet pass, which could strengthen the Lakers’ transition game.
Davis, too, can grab a rebound and push the ball upcourt on the break. Keep in mind that he was just 6-foot-0 at the end of his freshman year of high school while playing guard, but sprouted to 6-foot-7 at the start of his junior year, and 6-foot-10 early in his senior season.
That incredible growth spurt endowed him with the unique combination of elite height and length (he also has a 7-foot-6 wingspan) to go along with traditional guard skills.
Between Davis, James, McGee and Cousins, the Lakers can do a great job limiting teams to one shot, which will surely help their defensive efficiency numbers and garner Davis more Defensive Player of the Year votes.