Last week, Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham stirred the pot with some eye-popping comments. He urged Anthony Davis to take six three-pointers per game, which is more than three times as many as he averages in his NBA career (1.6).
Needless to say, the comments prompted plenty of criticism and hot takes left and right. Davis is a career 30% shooter from beyond the arc, and he’s never shot better than 34% from deep. In fact, he’s coming off knocking down just 25.7% of his three-pointers on 1.3 attempts per game last season.
Today’s game requires power forwards to step up to the perimeter and stretch the floor, but that has never been Davis’ game. He’s got elite footwork and a sweet touch from close and mid-range, and while he’s able to sink an occasional three, having him chug up shots from deep might not be the wisest idea.
Darvin Ham Clarifies His Comments On Davis’ Offense
That’s why the second-year coach had to clear the air on what he actually meant when he said he wanted Davis to take that many threes. Per Ham, he was just trying to send a message and make a statement about Davis being more aggressive next season:
Anthony Davis
“People have been going crazy with that number,” Ham told ESPN. “I just think it’s me saying: I want him to be aggressive from all three levels. I don’t want him to think ‘OK, man,’ and second-guess his shot. He catches it, and no one’s in front of him, or his defender is off of him; I want him shooting the ball from three. If he happens to be in the corner, he catches it, I want him to shoot the ball from three. While still being aggressive in the low post and the midrange.”
Ham wants Davis to make the most of the looks he gets. Regardless of whether he’s a volume three-point shooter or not, he wants to make defenses pay for leaving him open and keep defenders guessing by expanding his game:
“So, it’s not like I just want him to become this exclusive stretch big all of a sudden,” he continued. “I just want him to be aggressive from each and every spot on the floor.”
Lakers Need Davis To Step Up
Six three-pointers or not, the Lakers need Anthony Davis to play like the superstar he is. He just got a multi-year contract extension, and the Lakers want him to carry LeBron James’ torch once he’s no longer with the team.
Anthony Davis of the Lakers during 2023
LeBron is entering his 21st season in the league, and he can only do so much at this point in his career. Davis is supposed to be in his physical prime and will be asked to be the team’s primary scorer and driving force on both ends of the floor next season.
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Inconsistency and injuries have taken a toll on his ability to make an impact in the past couple of years. But when healthy and at his best, Davis can make a case for being the best two-way big man in the NBA.
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