Media

Anthony Davis opens up on his biggest evolution this year, why Marc Gasol and LeBron James deserve most credit

Published by
Peter Dewey

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is continuing to find ways to improve his game.

Davis, who is averaging 22.3 points per game this season, has been taking special notes from LeBron James and Marc Gasol to become a better passer.

This is the first season that Davis and Gasol have played together, but Davis is already comparing his frontcourt mate to Nikola Jokic and Draymond Green.

“I just ask them questions,” Davis told The Athletic about James and Gasol. “Some of the plays that those two guys make, it’s unbelievable for me. It’s unreal. Especially for Marc because he’s a bigger guy. There’s a handful of bigs that can actually make those passes: him, Jokic, Draymond.”

The addition of Gasol has helped the Lakers get out to a 16-6 start this season.

“It’s more about reads and spacing than anything,” Gasol said. “At the end of the day, he has to make the read and see what the defense is trying to bait him into and, at the same time, has to stay aggressive. It’s a fine line, and he has to dictate what’s going to happen and kind of bait the defense to what he wants to do.”

After losing Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee in free agency, the Lakers wanted to find a big man that could complement James and Davis.

Gasol’s ability to stretch the floor and be a playmaker at the center position has helped unlock a new dimension in the Lakers’ offense.

Davis has already seen how important Gasol’s passing ability is, and the Lakers hope that it will help them compete for another NBA title.

“On the offensive end, my passing has been the biggest evolution,” Davis said. “Bron might have said I was overlooked, but I wasn’t passing like this in New Orleans.”

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

5-time NBA champion says ‘no real fans care’ about Lakers’ success in NBA Cup

The Los Angeles Lakers have started their NBA Cup schedule off on the right foot…

November 21, 2024

LeBron makes stunning announcement as he takes step back on social media

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James uploaded a screenshot of a social media post on…

November 20, 2024

Private message revealed that Austin Reaves sent Dalton Knecht before they knew they’d be teammates

Los Angeles Lakers players Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht were familiar with one another before…

November 20, 2024

Iman Shumpert says LeBron ruined today’s game by forming superteams

The proliferation of superteams in the NBA arguably became normalized once LeBron James teamed up…

November 19, 2024

Shaq says he’ll fight Dwight Howard under certain conditions

Dwight Howard has a compelling case to one day be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial…

November 18, 2024

Report: J.J. Redick admires Serbian coaching, wants to send sons to go to basketball camp there

There are several productive players in the NBA right now who grew up in the…

November 18, 2024