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Los Angeles Lakers: Examining Anthony Davis’ underrated playmaking abilities

By Ethan Temkin

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 01: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on December 01, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 01: Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on December 01, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /
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Anthony Davis has been a dominant force on both ends of the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers, but something that doesn’t get enough attention is his playmaking ability.

Last year with the Pelicans, Anthony Davis averaged a career-high in assists at 3.9, which although may seem low, is still impressive for any big man not named Nikola Jokic. Per CleaningtheGlass, Davis’ assist percentage has gone up almost every single year he’s been in the league. This year, Davis has an AST% 16%, which puts him in the 87th percentile amongst all players at his position.

We all know the story, how Davis used to play point guard when he was in high school before a growth spurt necessitated a move to forward/center. All you have to do is look at how Davis plays to know there’s some merit to this story. He handles the ball like a guard, and can start his offense starting all the way out from the three point line.

His ability to get the rebound and immediately start the break is also an underrated part of his game, and has led to a lot of easy Lakers buckets in transition. He also has been getting better about passing out of the double team, which has also led to a lot of easy Lakers baskets.

Not only is Davis an above average passer for his position, he also takes care of the ball. His TOV% for the season so far is 9.7% placing him in the 88th percentile, and has always hovered around that mark for the entirety of his career. This is made even more impressive when you consider that his USG% has been around the 25%-30% mark for that same amount of time.

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Also just a disclaimer; the NBA season is only about a quarter of the way through, and Davis is only scratching the surface of his playmaking abilities. With more time to gel with his teammates, as well as learning from one of the best passers to ever play the game in LeBron James, we should expect Davis to take another leap in his playmaking, which will easily catapult him to the top of the MVP conversation if he isn’t already.

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