On the morning of April 25, Beijing time, the Lakers will continue to sit at home to face the Grizzlies, and the Lakers are currently leading 2-1 and are expected to seize the game point. Judging from the trend of the first three games of the series, Anthony Davis' play has become a decisive factor for the Lakers to win or not, and more specifically Davis' defense. In front of New Branch Best Defensive Player award winner Jalen Jackson Jr., Davis is more like the best defensive player.
How strong was Davis' defense in the first three games of the series? Previous issues have been interpreted through GIFs, and this issue of "Insight Commentary" will be interpreted by data.
There are many excellent defenders in the league who boast of "strong defensive flexibility", Adebayo, Claxton and even boast of "being able to defend from the No. 1 to No. 5 position", but in fact, in the small-ball era, the best defensive flexibility is undoubtedly Davis, and perhaps Antetokounmpo.
So far in the series, the most impressive thing about Davis is not his big hat, but his fundamental role in any defensive strategy and defensive system.
The Lakers guard the "crouch pit", Davis's ability to balance defense under the basket and mid-range and long-range interference is almost the only existence in the league, and his ability to go up and down on the defensive end can be called unparalleled. One second Davis has contracted to the three-second zone, the next he has saved to the free throw line.
The Lakers change defense or bags, Davis can directly top the front line of defense, cover the ball holder, and is not afraid of the opponent's breakthrough.
These abilities of Davis have long been recognized, and the only thing that can hinder him is injury.
In the first three games, through trial and error in the second game, Lakers coach Hamm has clarified a set of matches: Davis must face Tillman a lot on the defensive end, and Davis' defensive ability can be maximized.
In the first game, Davis played a lot against Tillman, freeing up energy to help defend and protect the basket, and the Lakers defended impeccable and eventually won.
In the second game, Davis played Jackson Jr. a lot, and as a result, Jackson Jr. was transferred off the basket countless times, and the Lakers inside was pierced.
In the third game, the Lakers changed back to their original match, with Davis defending Tillman and occasionally taking care of Jackson Jr. Although James, Hachimura Base, and Vanderbilt will have a hard time defending Jackson Jr., this can maximize Davis' ability, and Jackson Jr.'s personal strong attack hits the undead Lakers, so the Lakers can boldly let Davis play against Tillman, and consider letting Davis play Jackson Jr. when playing center at key moments.
Now that we understand the whole, let's prove how strong Davis' defense is:
1. Davis averaged 4 possessions per game and finished 3rd in the playoffs, behind Kawhi Leonard and Chris Paul.
2. Davis averaged 13 two-point shots per game and 3.3 three-point shots per game, and he averaged a total of 16.3 interference shots per game, ranking second in the league behind Bucks center Brooke Lopez. It is worth mentioning that the Lakers' defensive strategy is very similar to that of the Bucks, and Hamm once served as an assistant coach for the Bucks.
3. Davis' players in the opposite position are averaging 18.3 shots per game while shooting just 30.9 percent from the field, 18.2 percent below their season average. Split up, opponents faced Davis defensively shooting 11.1 percent from three-point range, 24.8 percent below their season average. The opponent shot 42.3 percent from 6 feet against Davis, 21 percent below average.
4. The NBA's official website has a "defensive influence" data, which refers to the deterrent power of a player's defense under the basket. Davis averaged 9 rebounds per game and was second in the league on 51.9 percent shooting. For comparison, Jackson Jr. is 75 percent, Jarrett Allen is 70 percent and Gobert is 59.3 percent, and they are either winners or candidates for the best defensive player.
5. When Davis was present, the Lakers conceded 101.7 points per 100 games, and when he was not present, the number increased to 116.7 points. With or without Davis, the Lakers' defense is completely two extremes.
For Davis' defensive ability, the Lakers will unanimously recognize, LeBron James said that "Davis set the defensive tone for us", and Hamm said: "His defensive presence is too strong, he protects the basket, constantly moves, and has a lot of energy when defending the ball." Defensively, his performance was incredible. ”