Anthony Davis and Patrick Beverley – A combination that will potentially make the Los Angeles Lakers a top ranking defensive side again
A healthy Anthony Davis is a top-5 player in the league – Shame he only plays about half a season.
Patrick Beverley has been the talk of the town in the past week or so, given his history with LA and Russell Westbrook. He’s always been the vocal, vociferous guy who hasn’t had too much team success. Even when he was on the Clippers, there was not much they achieved. But if last season is any indication, Pat Bev can be THAT guy on a team.
He was an instrumental part of the Timberwolves roster, and images of him celebrating like he won the championship went viral. But what he did was guard the opposition so well, that they missed their shots more often than not. In a list that ranks all players for the lowest FG allowed, Patrick Beverley only trailed Giannis Antetokounmpo. His new teammate Anthony Davis, ranks 4th. Davis could have been higher, had he played more games.
When he came into the league AD was a strong guy, but as time went on, he started breaking down. Kind of like a Range Rover that way. While fit, he can be the best player on the court – while fit that is. Offense, defense, dribbles, he has everything. Shame he breaks down faster than the screen guards of a phone owned by a person affected by Parkinson’s.
Last season the Lakers ranked 21st in the league for defense, if everyone stays healthy, they will rise again.
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Anthony Davis is the key to everything good that has to happen – The Physios must work overtime to keep him on the court
Darwin Ham and LeBron James agree that this team will run through AD – which is a good choice for the team. When he plays, everybody in the league knows how devastating he can be. He makes 30-10-5 look like a walk in the park, influencing the game heavily. But when he suffers, the team suffers. Much has been spoken about his injury record, and most of it is true.
Last season, LeBron had to play center because Davis was out for long periods. This essentially nulled out any threats that could come from the guard position, because Bron was playing an unfamiliar role. Plus Russell Westbrook turning over the ball so many times didn’t help either. One injury derailed a whole season, and the new coach should be wary. Keeping him fit is the utmost priority, whatever it takes.
Frank Vogel was sacked because he could not rotate well enough. But with a strong defender like Pat Bev, Ham has the luxury to make calls. All they need is shooters now. That is the quintessential Bron team – a lot of catch-and-shoot guys who wait for the flashy pass from him. Lebron James is a luxury to any team, and the Lakers can only afford him for a few more years.
Also Read: LeBron James and Anthony Davis have “5 more reasons” to win in their 75th-anniversary jerseys
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