The addition of Anthony Davis to a Los Angeles Lakers starting lineup that already included LeBron James has set up huge expectations for both players during the season ahead.
Davis is aware of the more intense focus on his game that he will be facing this season and has pointed out multiple goals he has for the 2019-20 campaign.
Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports noted the respect Davis has for James’ willingness to let a newcomer be the central component of one of the league’s most prominent teams.
“I’ve kind of been a focal-point player my whole career, especially in New Orleans,” Davis said. “But first off, to have a guy like LeBron, someone of his caliber, go tell management and ownership and the coaches that he wants me to be the focal point is an honor. I know what comes with that, and that’s a lot of heavy lifting. I want to be able to do that. I think I have the capabilities of doing that. And obviously with the team’s support, it’s going to be a lot easier on me. We have a great team.”
One of the ways that Davis plans to advance his game will be by making a concerted effort to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
“I want to be Defensive Player of the Year,” Davis said. “I think if I’m able to do that, I can help this team win. The offensive end will come around, but defensively, I want to hold myself, teammates, including LeBron, accountable in order for us to take on the challenge of being the best we can defensively. In doing so, we’ll have a good chance of winning every night. I want to make sure me and LeBron are on the All-Defensive Team. And for me personally, I just want to be the Defensive Player of the Year. If we’re able to hold teams under 100 [points], which is probably unrealistic but it should be our goal, I think we’ll have a shot at winning the title.”
Davis is brimming with confidence about the Lakers’ roster, but knows that the team not only has to avoid injuries, but also has to stay focused from the outset on the ultimate goal of an NBA championship.
“If we stay healthy, there’s no limit,” Davis said. “We have the team to win a championship. We have the coaching staff to win, but we’ve got to come in with the right mindset and that all starts in training camp all the way through preseason and all the way through the regular season. We have to make sure we come in with the same mindset no matter who we’re playing. It should be about us. Not about the opponent, not about anything else outside the locker room. If we’re all about us and all about what we need to do to win, then we’ll be fine.”
Unfortunately, the Lakers are already having to deal with a key injury after DeMarcus Cousins was lost for the season after suffering an ACL injury last month. In addition, the team’s depth was depleted because of the personnel that was dealt as part of the Davis trade.
Still, the combination of Davis, who is one of the best players on the planet right now, and James, who ranks among the greatest players in NBA history, could lead to great things in the years ahead.
One of the best ways to determine if Davis has met his goals is to see where the Lakers end up when their 2019-20 season comes to an end.
