5.) The Stats
The numbers are as good place as any to start and boy does Davis have a lot of them. Here’s a short list of where he ranks in the most important defensive statistics, as of 12/7/19.
- 1st in total blocks and blocks per game
- 2nd in DWS (Defensive Win Shares)
- 3rd in Defensive Rating
- 6th in VORP (Value over Replacement Player)
- 8th in DBPM (Defensive Box Plus Minus)
Keep in mind that Davis is doing all of this in addition to being one of the Laker’s primary scorers. On the season he’s putting up averages of 26.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, which in of itself is already impressive, but considering the fact that he’s playing elite defense to go along with is borderline insane.
Switching gears, let’s take a closer look at some of the advanced metrics provided by CleaningtheGlass and see where Davis ranks in those categories.
- BLK% of 4.2% (93rd percentile)
- STL% of 1.8% (88th percentile)
- FOUL% of 2.4% (91st percentile)
These numbers essentially boil down to Davis blocking shots, and grabbing steals at an elite level for his position, all while maintaining an incredibly low foul rate, which is an important caveat when it comes to evaluating defensive impact.