Since entering the NBA scene in 2012, Anthony Davis of the All-Star Los Angeles Lakers has consistently been recognized as one of basketball’s premier defenders. Undoubtedly, he ranks among the top three defensive talents in the league.
His prowess in safeguarding the basket is exceptional, nearly unmatched by his contemporaries, and his remarkable speed considering his stature renders him highly effective in defending the perimeter. It comes as no shock that he boasts a remarkable record of four appearances on the All-Defensive Team and has thrice topped the league in blocked shots.
This season, Anthony Davis played a career-high 76 regular-season games; however, he was surprisingly omitted from the finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year award—a decision that the league and media cannot justify.
The counterargument regarding Davis revolves around the Los Angeles Lakers’ subpar team defense. However, this argument actually strengthens his case. Davis carried a significant defensive load, unlike players such as Bam Adebayo and Rudy Gobert, who benefit from playing alongside several strong defensive teammates. Davis, on the other hand, lacks such support.
The argument about poor team defense applies to Victor Wembanyama as well, yet he still made it as a finalist. Visually, Wembanyama was highly impressive, supported by his impressive statistics.
However, Anthony Davis excelled in all the statistical categories mentioned, further reinforcing his candidacy. Assessing defense in the league is challenging due to the concept of a deterrent effect, where players avoid driving or shooting over certain defenders, making it difficult to measure.
This emphasizes the significance of counting stats, which favor Davis. Nevertheless, there’s a compelling case for all three finalists, but Davis certainly has a strong one too.
