‘Most Skilled Big’: Former NBA Champion Compares Lakers’ Anthony Davis to Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic

It is during times of adversity that a man’s genuine character comes out. Since LeBron James is out along with a few other key pieces, Anthony Davis has been forced to transform into an all-in-one leader. This was how the Lakers successfully and desperately pinned down the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

AD was at the epicenter of all the criticism that the Lake Show received ever since he returned from his injury. However, with every passing game, the big man kept getting better and unleashed his top performance right when it was the most needed. So how does he compare against his fellow counterparts now?

Kendrick Perkins with a huge endorsement for Anthony Davis

In a recent interview, NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins sat to discuss the increasing impact of AD’s game on the Lakers’ performance. He said:

“When you look at what Anthony Davis does when he’s healthy, we’re talking about historical numbers like Shaq and Will. Anthony Davis is one of one, okay? He’s probably going down as the most skilled big ever, right under Hakeem Olajuwon… He can put it on the floor, he has great handle… he got great stepbacks, fadeaways, turnarounds, he showed it… He impacts the game better than any other big in the game. We’re talking about the block of Jae Crowder, go back and look at the Denver Nuggets game, the game with the block that he stretched out when he was already in the paint.”

KP is correct in his evaluation because the outing against the Suns put AD in the history books. He became the first player in the Lakers’ history to chart 42 points, 12 rebs, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. That was the exact comeback that his followers deserved, and Anthony did not disappoint. 

Read also – Former NBA Coach Explains Why Lakers Will Remain Title Contenders If They Stay Healthy

Lakers’ star forward vs Nuggets’ MVP candidate

Although The Brow is yet to touch the mega numbers that he put up with the Pelicans, he is still at his career’s peak. His win share, especially without LeBron James on the side, is worth visiting and praising. As the second-best in his squad, the man is mostly doing more than what he signed up for.

Can he ever become an MVP contender? Maybe not, but he can at least take the title of the best big man in the league as opposed to players like star Nikola Jokic.

The 36-YO KP added, “He impacts the game so much. When you talk about Jokic and Embiid, they all had phenomenal years, but when you look at Anthony Davis, he just separates himself for his athleticism, the way he is able to play the four and the five… you may say that Jokic is a better passer, and he might be, but he’s in a different system, where the system has to be around Jokic, where Jokic has to be the playmaker.”

That perfectly sums up how much the Lakers will depend upon AD in the current season. Is The Brow the best big man in the league?