The Los Angeles Lakers made Anthony Davis a center, despite his desire to play power forward. The ten-time All-Star still thinks his best position is the four. He made that clear on the Numbers of the Board podcast when AD said, “For me, I feel like I’ve been most successful in my career when I’ve had another big.” Davis can believe that, but it just isn’t true.
The Lakers won the championship in 2020 with AD playing power forward, but were knocked out in the first round in 2021 with him at the four. Los Angeles made the playoffs twice when Davis was primarily their center. They reached the conference finals in 2023 and were bounced in the first round by the Nuggets in 2024. When AD wasn’t facing Nikola Jokic, he was better at the five.
The NBA keeps proving the future Hall of Famer wrong. Every Knicks starter could space the floor. The Thunder, Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, and Bucks have won the title since the Lakers. All of them had at least four shooters in their starting five. Davis can’t space the floor, so he can’t play next to a non-shooting center.
Lakers quickly found out the value of spacing
LA played him at the four during the 2020 playoffs, but it is important to remember that Davis shot 38.3 percent from long range. He was also taking 2.9 3-point attempts per game. Those numbers were outliers. Over his 14-year NBA career, AD has shot 29.5 percent from long range on 1.6 attempts per game.
The Lakers won just one playoff game in 2021 as the team shot 29.9 percent from 3-point range in the series against the Nuggets. Andre Drummond didn’t shoot a single three. AD, Dennis Schroder, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggled to ensure LA’s demise.
In the 2021 offseason, the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook. They missed the playoffs entirely in 2022 as the future Hall of Fame guard couldn’t space the floor. It wasn’t until the 2023 trade deadline when Rob Pelinka added shooting that the Lakers went on another playoff run.
Shooting and floor spacing are more valuable than ever in the modern NBA. Davis is a below-average 3-point shooter, which means he needs to be the only non-shooter on the floor. Finding a stretch five is difficult and expensive. The easiest path is playing AD at center, even if he doesn’t like it.
Anthony Davis had harsh comments about Lakers making him a center
The superstar didn't stop after saying he was better playing the four. Even took a shot at the Lakers for making him a center.
“I’ve always played at like 250-255, and that year I had gotten to 265. I didn’t like it. I was actually probably like 268. I was like I can’t play like this, so I tried to cut during the season, but when you try to do that while you’re playing is tough. That's when I was like I want another big, but it just didn’t happen. But now, you guys will see. Put me alongside another big, and it is a different ballgame for me.”
AD likes being able to roam on defense. Having two rim protectors is better on this end of the floor, but no team has won the championship with two non-shooters in their starting five since the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. Lakers had AD and JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard in 2020, but Davis made somehow made 3-pointers in those playoffs.
The Brow is an all-time great. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he is wrong about playing next to a center. The only way that works is if the center is a stretch five like prime Kristaps Porzingis. Those facts won’t stop AD’s new team from trying it Davis’ way.
Wizards are granting Anthony Davis’ wish
Washington traded for AD and Deandre Ayton to help them get back into contention. The Ayton trade benefitted Davis more than the Lakers. Davis can play all of his minutes at the four as the Wizards go with Alex Sarr and Ayton at the five.
They will quickly find out that playing AD at the four is a mistake. The Wizards don’t have enough shooting to pull it off. They are exiting a rebuild and eager to get back into contention. That will only happen if Davis plays more at the five as the season progresses.
The Lakers paid a hefty price for a center this summer. They aren’t against having a non-shooting big man, but Los Angeles knows a contender cannot have two. Rob Pelinka granted Luka Doncic’s wish for a center after years of ignoring LeBron James and AD. That likely hurt, but it was what LA had to do to contend.
Anthony Davis still thinks his best position is power forward, but he’s wrong. He is an elite defender and a subpar shooter. That makes him a center if the franchise wants to win it all. Spacing the floor and sinking jumpers is key. AD can’t hit the shots, so he can’t play next to another non-shooter.
The Los Angeles Lakers were right about Davis. No matter what the big man says, he is best as a center in the modern NBA. That is a fact.
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