Anthony Davis won his second Olympic gold medal earlier this year. Despite being surrounded by larger-than-life superstars on Team USA’s roster, AD held his own and had a commendable Summer Games. Coming off the back of such a colossal international campaign, Davis plans to have an equally dominant NBA season.
Advertisement
During his conversation with the media, AD said he would try to dominate every game. Coming off of a good season for the Lakers and his international success, Davis’ confidence is at an all-time high. He also detailed his plans to be a formidable force on both ends of the floor.
Although Davis recognizes that winning games is a team effort, he plans to set an example for the younger players every time he steps onto the floor. Not only does that set a tone for the opposition to match or exceed his effort to win, but it also sends a message to the Lakers hierarchy: if LeBron James were to retire at the end of the season, they wouldn’t need to search for a new superstar, and AD is ready to fill his shoes.
On the personal front, he wants to better his previous season. He believes that if he does his job well and executes everything he has thought of, it’ll help with the collective goal of the team, which has always been a championship.
He said, “Being aggressive every time down the court, being dominant in every game. Doing my job, doing my part and helping this team do what we’ve gotta do. That is taking on a matchup defensively, taking on a role offensively, being the leader…carrying us in games, playoffs, whatever it takes.”
Anthony Davis, coming off a gold medal summer that followed career highs in rebounds and games played, and nearly a career high in FG%, says he is coming into this season with the mentality of “being dominant every game” pic.twitter.com/ZDFrCAM5IL
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 20, 2024
AD is taking this on as a challenge to prove that he is now better than he was a few months ago. The Lakers would be extremely pleased if he pulled this off. Last season, the 31-year-old averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds (career high), 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game in 76 regular season games. He also shot 55.6% from the field.
Despite an early postseason exit for the Lakers, AD continued his dominant form in the Olympics for Team USA. He was returning to the international scene after a decade but still averaged 8.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.2 steals in six games. AD also led the team in blocks with 1.5 per game and shot at an impressive 62.5% from the field.
His last NBA season was the third-best overall in scoring (1876 points), only behind the 2017-18 and 2016-17 seasons where he accumulated 2110 and 2099 points, respectively. If there’s a version of him that can top these numbers easily, that’ll give the Lakers the freedom to dream about a deep postseason run.
However, as anyone watching the NBA will tell you, Davis excels when he’s a defensive threat. Having been snubbed from the top 3 DPOY voting last season, he will want to show his prowess on the money-making end of the court.
He’s made his feelings clear about repeatedly missing out on the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, and he will want to prove more than anyone that he can anchor the league’s best defense. If he manages to lead the Lakers to even a top 3 defense, he could be well on his way to his first DPOY.
Davis’ best NBA seasons
There are so many positives in AD’s current form. He is arguably in the prime of his defensive prowess; playing more games per season than he ever has, and is currently in the hands of a head coach known for having one of the greatest basketball IQs in the league. All these things combined could help him get to the point where he wants to be.
AD played 76 regular season games last season. His previous best was 75 games in 2017-18 when he played for the Pelicans. His shooting accuracy was the second-highest of his career, only after 56.3 in 2022-23. He has had a few seasons where he performed better than he did in 2023-24. His best season arguably would be the 2017-18 for the Pelicans, where he finished 3rd in MVP voting at the age of 24.
AD averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.6 blocks per game that season while shooting 53.4% from the field. He also averaged a career-high 36.4 minutes per game. The next best season in his career would be the 2018-19 season for the Pelicans.
Davis averaged 25.9 points, 12 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game. He shot 51.7% from the field, averaging 33 minutes per game. However, he only played 56 games that season, so it takes away some value from an otherwise stellar season. If he wants to top these performances, he might not have to work very hard.
Considering the run he has had recently, it won’t take much from him to put forth his best season in the league. As per the plans of the new head coach, AD will be more involved in games this season. He will often take control of the offense to ease pressure on LeBron and act as a playmaker and a floor spacer for the franchise.
JJ Redick also wants to encourage AD to shoot more threes. It’s worth noting that Davis only shot 27.1% from the three-point line last season. If Redick makes him more comfortable shooting from a distance, these numbers are bound to improve. The most important thing is that he will need to take care of his health because everything else is perfectly aligned for him to have a great season.
