Los Angeles Lakers: 4 Lessons trying to explain this win over the Grizzlies
By Ronald Agers
Anthony Davis missed his first five shots in his Los Angeles Lakers return. Then something happened…
Anthony Davis was a welcome addition to the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers. In the beginning, he started slowly, obviously testing his Achilles early with fade-away jumpers and floaters. He missed his first five shots from the field, but after attacking the basket, scoring and drawing the foul, it was on.
His backline defensive presence helped the defense cripple the Grizzlies with turnovers. Those turnovers turned into fast-break opportunities and got his offense rolling by him releasing early running the break.
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AD washed away his slow start by knocking down six shots in a row. The extension 11-of-13 shots showed the dominance that rendered Gorgui Dieng useless and slowed Jonas Valanciunas down after his hot start.
Davis systematically dismantled the Memphis Grizzlies finishing with 35 points (16-27 shooting!), 9 rebounds (3 offensive!), 2 steals with a block. After LeBron started going crazy with his antics (Stay tuned for that!), Memphis went to a zone defense.
The Lakers found a way to match AD up on Ja’ Morant. Two times the matchup happened, two times Davis dunked on the man’s head. After that, the zone disappeared along with any chance of Memphis winning.
Even though Anthony Davis dominated in his triumphant return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup, he didn’t bring the fireworks of his superstar teammate. LeBron James not only put on a showcase, he taught a life lesson that everyone can learn. Read on to see what that lesson is.