Home Sport ’Anthony Davis should be at the top of the Defensive Player of the Year list’ is what Darvin Ham shared with the press after the Lakers’ win

’Anthony Davis should be at the top of the Defensive Player of the Year list’ is what Darvin Ham shared with the press after the Lakers’ win

Sport — 01/09/2024

Tony Davis has been the Lakers’ best defender ever since he put on the purple and gold. That role has only become stronger over time, and games like the one Davis played against the Clippers show why he is the team’s defensive foundation.

Davis was good at both covering big me𝚗 in the paint and going to ball movers like James Harden. He did well in both situations throughout the game. He had nine defensive rebounds, three steals, and one block by the end of the night. This helped the Lakers end their four-game losing streak.

Lakers: Can Anthony Davis be the best player on a championship team? - Silver Screen and RollAfter the game, Darvin Ham made sure to talk about how well Davis played defense.

“His ability to move his feet and not foul,” Ham said about AD’s defense that makes it stand out. “They’ll give you a lot of fakes.” All of those guys—PG, Kawhi, James, Russ, and all of those guys, Norm. They have a tough cover… There are a lot of different players, but AD can switch on all of them, which is why I think he should be Defensive Player of the Year.

Anthony Davis, Lakers agree on a 3-year, $186 million extension – KGET 17“Just because he can guard beyond the 3-point line, show his hands, move his feet, play in the middle, protect the basket, not foul, and put guys in tough situations.”

The Defensive Player of the Year debate can still go on for a while longer. But according to Draft Kings, Rudy Gobert (-150) is still the clear favorite. Davis (+700) is in second place, and youngster Chet Holmgren (+850) is in third.

Lakers' Anthony Davis Called Out as 'Big Flopper' by 76ers Big Man Ahead of MatchupIt’s hard to see how Gobert could have had a better individual year when he’s so important to the team, reliable, and able to guard both wings and bigs. Davis can do more to support his cause.

A championship team? That's not us right now" - Anthony Davis vents his frustration after LA Lakers' embarrassing loss to Minnesota TimberwolvesBut here we are again, in the same place, seeing Davis being undervalued.

The reason given in the past was that Davis wasn’t available, but he has played in all but two games this season. His scoring production goes up and down, but his defensive play is as steady as a machine.

We’ll wait and see what the votes decide, and if they decide that someone other than Davis should win this year, we’ll see how they explain that. The Lakers can be sure that Davis is on their side, which helps fix a lot of their defensive problems. With Davis leading the team, January can still be a turning point for the Lakers.