Anthony Davis terrorized defenses at the start of the season, but he’s taken a familiar backseat ever since. And he and the Lakers are worse off because of it.
It took four minutes for Anthony Davis to take his first shot against the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. Like the Lakers’ season thus far, the play-call was encouraging at the onset but eventually crumbled.
Davis lined up in the far left corner and darted off a wide pindown screen set by D’Angelo Russell. The reversal of roles of a guard freeing up his big allowed Davis to catch the ball on the move and in the middle of the floor like a magic trick.
Unfortunately, several defenders — and a sandwiched Russell — awaited Davis in the paint. The result was a contested floater, an awkward landing and Miami sprinting the other way as Davis was left inhaling exhaust.
Of course, a make would have been helpful in this or any possession. But simply seeing something run for Davis at all was refreshing. This shouldn’t be the case, especially after four minutes into a basketball game. And the frustrating thing is it wasn’t at the start of the year.
Although it’s easy to forget given their recent freefall, Davis was downright mythical to start the season.
He spat fire, erased the sky and spread his reptile wings within JJ Redick’s new offense — a system whose goal and inception were built around making the Lakers’ center the “hub.” After dazzling early returns and charred defenses, the slick-haired sicko’s mission was a success.
The Kaiju from Los Angeles was unleashed.
Davis averaged a destructive stat line of 30.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists in the Lakers’ first 11 games. Beyond stuffing the boxscore, it also finally felt there was no argument about who the team’s focal point was as Davis had supplanted LeBron James in carrying the purple-and-gold flag into battle.
During that initial span, Davis led the Lakers in usage rate at 31% (a would-be career-high), whereas James took a considerable step aside at 25.6% (a would-be career-low).
Things were looking up for Los Angeles. The team’s younger star had taken the reins of a soaring offense, their record was solid and a shared direction was being bought into.
Then, things swiftly changed.
Perhaps it started when Davis suffered an eye injury against the Toronto Raptors. Maybe it was the bruised heel that forced him to miss a game. Or, potentially, it was due to the plantar fasciitis Davis stated he had been dealing with since late last season.
Whatever the reason, Davis has gone from looking like one of the leading candidates for MVP to just pedestrian on recent nights. As a result, the Lakers have spiraled down the standings and suffered multiple blowouts, including an “embarrassing” 41-point loss to the Heat.
The string of poor performances ultimately is due to a combination of factors. But a major reason why things have gone south so fast is what was initially the team’s biggest strength has become a concerning weakness.
In their first 11 games, the Lakers’ offense proved deadly. They averaged 117.7 points per 100 possessions, the seventh-highest mark in the league. In their last 11 games, however, they’ve dropped off considerably, scoring just 111.1, the seventh-lowest rate.
It is no coincidence that the team’s offensive woes have coincided with Davis’ shortcomings. An issue he seems well aware of.
“I have the utmost confidence in this group and this coaching staff. But like I said, I, personally, think it just starts with me,” Davis said after the game. “If I play better then guys play better. I’m definitely taking accountability, especially the last couple games, just not being there for the team on the offensive end.”
After initially leading the league in scoring, Davis is averaging just 23.8 points per game since. Things have recently hit rock bottom, as he scored just a combined 20 points across the team’s last two blowout losses.
“Obviously, the team goes as I go and the last two games have been terrible shooting the basketball. Just got to be better individually to help the team. Guys are doing their parts and I’m not doing mine...I hold myself to a higher standard and haven’t been doing what I needed to do, especially offensively, for our team.”
Beyond needing to do a better job converting his chances, other variables have played a role in Davis cooling off as much as he has.
One factor has been how defenses have adjusted to his role within Redick’s scheme. At the beginning of the year, Davis was used heavily within the team’s Delay and Horns actions as the trigger man but mainly as the play-finisher.
Along with others, sets like these were mostly a means to get Davis the ball often and on the move to reduce the more stagnant elements of his game. This aggressive approach tormented defenses. But they’ve since matched his aggression with their own.
Instead of letting Davis and the Lakers dictate the terms within their sets, opposing teams have sent more bodies at the center and quickly.
The extra attention has forced Davis to operate more as a playmaker in these scenarios and is largely why he is making more passes, assisting on more shots and dishing out more potential assists during these past 11 games than he was at the start of the year.
While still susceptible to turnovers against double-teams, Davis has made enough strides as a passer to burn overzealous defenses. However, the same can not be said about the Lakers’ shooters, as they’ve made just 32.2% of their 3-point chances (third-worst) during this stretch.
The Lakers’ inability to force defenses to readjust has placed Davis back into a more passive role, hindering the overall offense.
For example, Davis had a pass percentage of 27.4% out of his elbow touches and a pass percentage of just 12.1% out of post-ups in the first 11 games, according to the league’s tracking data. In contrast, Davis’ pass percentage from the elbow is 31.9% and his pass percentage out of the post has skyrocketed to 31.6% in the last 11 contests.
In the instances when Davis has looked to score, he has been forced to steer away from the rim (1.4 fewer drives per game) and out to the perimeter, shooting seven percent more long twos in this stretch than before.
Redick’s alteration to the starting lineup has also impacted the offense and Davis. Russell’s move to the bench has realigned offensive duties, specifically, thrusting James back into his traditional “point-guard” duties.
Although still a potent on-ball creator, James has shown signs of slippage at his age and in the face of too much responsibility. This can be seen in his high turnover totals and poor 3-point shooting of late. It’s been the first time where James’ chiseled frame has looked mortal. His tree trunks for legs now resemble sandcastles whenever he pulls up from deep.
After previously flirting with career lows, James has shot back up to a 30.7% usage rate in the past 11 games. On the other hand, Davis has retaken a backseat to his teammate, dropping to a 27.8% mark. This is to the detriment of James, Davis and the Lakers.
Despite James’ legendary playmaking acumen, his combination of playing at a leisurely pace, inconsistent shot tendency and thirst for mismatch hunting has stifled the overall ball movement and creativity in the half court seen earlier in the year.
This has left Davis as a bystander on some possessions, even going multiple plays without touching the ball or being involved in the final shot attempt. Sequences like this should never happen.
As has been the case since arriving in Los Angeles and playing alongside James, some, if not a considerable amount, of his scoring drop-off rests on Davis himself.
Yes, injuries, the weight of carrying the defense and the aforementioned changes on the floor have all played a role. Yet, at the end of the day, Davis must control what he can.
Things like being more decisive and mustering better energy and engagement levels can all go a long way to preventing him from getting put in a literal and figurative corner. He is too talented and dominant to be mediocre.
If the Lakers hope to right the ship, their offense must be their sails. The defense ultimately has a ceiling given the roster limitations. But they’ve repeatedly proven that there are no limits to their offensive potential.
Tapping into it likely begins by doing what originally worked for them — throwing the ball into Davis’ hands fast, often and confidently.
Forget the hub, strive for so much more.
All stats courtesy of Cleaning the Glass unless otherwise stated. You can follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexmRegla.
