Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis is as decorated as almost any big man from his era. He's an NBA champion, five-time All-NBA honoree, five-time All-Defense selectee, and a nine-time All-Star who has thrice led the Association in blocks.
Golden State Warriors and Team USA head coach Steve Kerr put what makes Davis great into perspective ahead of the 2024-25 regular season.
Kerr has either coached or played alongside defensive aces such as Tim Duncan, Draymond Green, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman. As such, his praise for Davis carries weight, as few have witnessed as many all-time great defenders from as close a view as Kerr's.
According to Matt Peralta of Lakers Nation, Kerr offered the type of praise for Davis that's typically reserved for the all-time greats.
“Watching him defensively is kind of shocking, how good he is at that end of the floor,” Kerr said before the Lakers’ preseason game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in Las Vegas. “Just his willingness to be coached, to be part of the group. Immediately embracing the role that we gave him and then of course coming up big in crucial times.
Kerr continued:
“I loved coaching Anthony, he’s really an incredible player and a great teammate. Got to see him before shootaround today and it was fun to reminisce a little bit. But he is just a brilliant player and tough to handle on both ends. His defensive work is just so good, and we know it from playing in the playoffs a couple years ago. He’s a one-man wrecking crew in there, phenomenal.”
It's high praise from a coach who knows a thing or two about playing with and coaching great defensive players.
Steve Kerr was shocked by how good Anthony Davis is on defense
As Kerr noted, this isn't the first time he's witnessed Davis' ability to dominate the game. The five-time All-NBA honoree averaged 31.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks, and 1.3 steals when he faced Kerr's Warriors in the 2015 NBA Playoffs.
Davis then averaged 27.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 2.0 blocks against Golden State during the 2018 NBA Playoffs, continuing a trend of dominance.
In their third and most recent postseason encounter, Davis finally defeated the Warriors in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. He averaged fewer points at 21.5 per game, but shot 57.8 percent from the field and tallied 14.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.5 steals per contest.
That includes the 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks he posted in Game 1, and the 17 points, 20 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals he tallied to close Golden State out in Game 5.
The fact that Kerr would go out of his way to praise Davis thus raises a question that many Lakers fans have routinely asked: How hasn't he won Defensive Player of the Year? Davis is as dominant along the interior as he is resourceful when caught in space.
He can block shots, rebound, and protect the paint with the best of the best, but is just as much of a nightmare for teams when he's out on the perimeter or switching against the pick-and-roll.
Unfortunately, Davis has thus far been unable to capture the career-defining accolade. Lakers head coach JJ Redick would like to help the 31-year-old secure the honor in 2024-25, but many have already penciled in a two-man race between Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
Regardless of how the Defensive Player of the Year award voting plays out, what's clear is that anyone who witnesses Davis' defense up close is left in awe of his all-time greatness.