Anthony Davis has always been a bridesmaid and never the bride when it comes to the Defensive Player of the Year trophy. The union was just never meant to be. Unfortunately for Davis, the chances of him winning one at this point of his career seem doubtful too.
Davis is about to turn 32 years old in less than two months. With the Los Angeles Lakers ranking 21st in the NBA with relation to their defensive rating, the superstar center is unlikely to get a strong look in this year's race for the most coveted trophy on that end of the basketball court. Should the Lakers continue to underperform on defense for the next few seasons, the remainder of Davis' best years are set to pass him by without any reasonable opportunity to add the major accolade.
Former New Orleans Pelicans teammate says it is too little, too late
Davis' top finishes in the Defensive Player of the Year voting consist of coming in second during the 2019-20 season, third in 2017-18, plus fourth in 2014-15 and 2023-24. The Lakers superstar accumulated five All-Defensive Team nods over his career, which does not feel like a lot for a defender of his caliber.
Davis was clearly annoyed by the perceived slights of his defensive abilities when speaking to Shams Charania in a sit-down interview for ESPN. The frustration may sound understandable to some, but that was not the case with a former star running mate of his.
DeMarcus Cousins, who played with the Davis on the New Orleans Pelicans, believes that the Lakers superstar took too long to start pushing this agenda.
"“AD's a couple of years late complaining about the situation. He should have been complaining when [Rudy Gobert] was getting these rewards by default.”"DeMarcus Cousins
Cousins' comments were made with respect to the suggestion of a narrative existing to push Victor Wembanyama as this year's Defensive Player of the Year.
Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs are similarly disappointing as a unit, ranking 20th in defensive rating. However, the rim protection of the second-year sensation and overall versatility give him a strong case. Wembanyama also edges out Davis in terms of defensive win shares despite his team having a significantly worse record overall.
Cousins' suggestion of Davis staying too quiet during the years where Rudy Gobert won is an interesting idea to explore. Of the seasons that featured Gobert winnig the trophy, the Lakers big man was only in the top five of voting twice. The best opening for Davis there would have been the 2017-18 season when he was third in voting.
Is there an argument to be made that a stronger narrative could have powered Davis to the Defensive Player of the Year? Perhaps there is. The idea of elevating the defensive unit around you has typically been an important part of these conversations. While Gobert's Utah Jazz did have the top defense in basketball, there was not actually a massive disparity between their rating of 103.0 and the Pelicans' 14th-ranked rating of 107.4. The two teams had the exact same 48-34 record too.
A compelling case could have probably been made. However, even with no Defensive Player of the Year trophies to Davis' name, the dominant big man has made an irrefutable claim to being one of the elite defenders of his generation.