USA Today via Reuters
Dec 22, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts in the third quarter against the LA Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 22, 2020; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts in the third quarter against the LA Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Davis is one of the best big men in the NBA right now. Not only does he have a silky-smooth offensive game, where he can score from all three levels of the court, he is also an elite defender. His defensive output is precisely what made the LA Lakers champions last season. He averaged two blocks during the Finals series against the Miami Heat last season.
However, Davis only came second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting last season. The award was instead given to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who became the third man since Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon to win both MVP and DPOY the same year.
Giannis beat out two LA players for both his awards. While he comfortably beat LeBron James for the MVP, he had a similar situation against Anthony Davis for DPOY. ESPN Analyst Kendrick Perkins believed AD was robbed of that honor and reiterated that during opening night.
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Anybody else watching AD guard Kawhi the whole game? I still can’t believe he got robbed of his DPOY Trophy last season! Carry on…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 23, 2020
AD has guarded Kawhi for most of the game. While Kawhi did have a slow start because of the intense pressure, it seems the Clippers will be running away with a win in this opening night game. However, Kawhi was held to under 40% shooting for the game.
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Anthony Davis: The best defensive player in the league?
The argument against Davis for this honor is not as strong as it was prior to the 2020 Playoffs. AD was a monster defensive and proved why he deserved the DPOY trophy. The same can be said for LeBron for the MVP, but there is a reason those are regular-season awards.
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 18, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) puts on a face mask on the bench alongside forward Anthony Davis (3) against the Phoenix Suns during a preseason game at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Giannis was sensational in all aspects of basketball last regular season. While he did fall in the playoffs, he was genuinely unstoppable through the regular season. AD commanded a team with the second-best defense in the league, while Giannis did the same for the best defense.
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Along with that, the Bucks had the best regular-season record last season as well. However, it didn’t work out in the playoffs for Giannis while it did for AD. He would probably take a championship over a regular-season award like DPOY. He proved his prowess when it mattered most.
