The Los Angeles Lakers should plan to play Anthony Davis at power forward during the postseason, let alone the regular season.
Once the Los Angeles Lakers acquired the ultra-talented Anthony Davis earlier this summer, media attention dramatically shifted to the purple and gold. It made plenty of sense given that Davis is arguably one of the top five NBA players in existence.
Because of the blockbuster deal, it became fair to place the Lakers in the championship contender conversation. With LeBron James already in tow, the addition of Davis gave the team perhaps the best duo the league has to offer.
If the former can stay healthy and assuming LeBron does not have any major injuries next year himself, the Lakers may be smiling in June.
That being said, it was all too natural when Lakers fans basically erupted on social media outlets. The combination of those two had many feeling “The Lakers are back, baby!”
While the excitement was (and remains) logical, getting Davis had many wondering whether he would be playing power forward or center for L.A. this coming year.
Certainly, as Davis showed in New Orleans, he is more than capable of playing excellent basketball at either position. However, the big man has gone on the record saying he prefers to be stationed at the four.
It is not necessarily a selfish comment on Davis’ front. Conversely, the former Kentucky product is saying this because most of his time with New Orleans was spent patrolling the four. In a nutshell, it simply boils down to it being something he is used to.
On that note, it explains why the front office has done what they can this summer to stock up at the five. Initially, the game plan was to rotate between former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins and JaVale McGee. Those two have always been positioned at center, so it signified that Davis was not going to be expected to play a whole lot at center this season.
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Although Cousins is certainly capable of knocking down the long ball, he is definitely of the breed who are not afraid to bang around in the paint. Likewise, as the Lakers clearly saw last year, McGee’s mentality is similar in that respect.
In spite of that, the original game plan took a hit once Cousins hit the shelf with an ACL injury. Unfortunately, the injury is likely going to sideline Boogie for the entirety of the coming year.
It is worth noting that the Lakers managed to sign another big to fill the void left by Cousins. Of course, nobody knows what version of Dwight Howard the team will actually get. It sheds light on why the organization only granted Howard with a non-guaranteed contract.
Despite Howard’s talent and athleticism, he is perhaps better known for his antics and joking ways. Accordingly, many folks have been curious of late as to whether Davis will be slotted in at center from time to time.
Needless to say, The Brow would rather play the four instead of center. As noted above, it is something Davis made crystal clear when he was first introduced as a member of the team.
According to a recent report, though, AD is okay with playing minutes at center under a particular circumstance. Via Shams Charania of The Athletic, the big fella is “comfortable” being at center assuming L.A. makes it to the playoffs.
On a positive note, the Lakers do have two traditional centers on the roster at this juncture. Even supposing the Cousins injury, the signing of Howard suggests the team may be doing all they can to fulfill Davis’ wishes, after all.
One reason the Lakers may want to listen to Davis’ request is simply to preserve his body. He is critical to the team’s championship chances this year. Thus, spending a majority of the time at power forward will put less strain on him physically.
In doing so, the Lakers could be doing themselves a favor in terms of decreasing the probability of injury. The last thing they need is another blow to a big man provided that Cousins is already out for the season. Playing at center typically exacerbates the chances of things happening as the season progresses.
Alas, when The Brow’s career is mulled over, he has a fairly lengthy injury history. Consequently, it may not be advantageous to the Lakers if they made their new star play a lot of minutes at the five.
Moreover, playing Davis at the four will ultimately make him happier. It is worth mentioning that the former Pelican has not officially committed to the Lakers beyond this year. Therefore, doing anything they can to make him feel at home, so to speak, may be wise on their part.
Making him comfortable could allow him to play at peak level when the lights shine at their brightest level in the postseason. That will be important on account of how deep the Western Conference is.
Nevertheless, it is nice to see that Davis is willing to be a bit more flexible when the spotlight is burning brighter. As Ron Gutterman of Lakers Nation indicated, a small-ball lineup with AD manning the five could be a nightmare for opposing defenses to reckon with.
At the same time, it would be a challenge for opposing teams to guard, say, both Davis and McGee simultaneously. Few, if any, ball clubs would be able to match up against a towering duo along those lines. That would be an especially dangerous tandem in the postseason.
In the meantime, it is probably going to be smart if the Lakers primarily use Davis at power forward. The Lakers have two conventional centers, so they may as well do what they can to balance out minutes there.
If a genuine center is out there, too, it automatically places less pressure on AD. Davis is obviously an exceptional talent but having a true center on the hardwood means Davis does not have to do all the dirty work. Sharing the rebounding/rim protecting duties could end up being mighty helpful the farther the Lakers get.
Certainly, if McGee and/or Howard get hurt, putting Davis at center is the practical move to make. They will not have much of a choice in that event.
Putting him at the four, though, carries its perks. For instance, one could argue that if Davis primarily played at PF, he would be less prone to foul trouble than he if played at center. The Lakers need AD on the hardwood as much as possible, so at least aesthetically the idea of inserting him at the four is better.
Letting Davis be himself is the best decision the Lakers could make at this point. Sure, he is especially tough to guard at the five, namely because he can shoot the ball from the perimeter and has decent handles for someone his size. It is what makes the 6-foot-10 baller so special.
On the other hand, the team should not coerce Davis into a role he is not fully agreeable to. Allowing him to do what he prefers could end up being a decision they thank themselves for later for various reasons.
One of them is precisely as follows. The man is a free agent next summer. Ergo, making him as “comfortable” as they can is essential when their long-term future is taken into account.
The Lakers sacrificed a lot in order to get their hands on Davis. By virtue of that factor, playing it safe is probably the safer route to take, even in the postseason.
McGee and Howard will help ease the natural burden that comes with being at center. They know a thing or two about guarding the rim and will take some of the stress away from Davis.
Without a doubt, it is logical that the Lakers may want Davis to play at center here and there, especially if they snag a playoff spot. Although that is true, the Lakers need to also persuade AD that they have his best interests in mind. Playing him where he is most comfortable likely raises their chances of re-signing him for the long haul.