Anthony Davis Has Proven Why He’s the ‘Perfect’ Complement to LeBron James
The LA Lakers are back in the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade. A significant part of that puzzle has been the strong play from star forward Anthony Davis. He has worked smoothly alongside LeBron James, putting the Lakers just four wins shy from securing their 17th NBA title. With that in mind, head coach Frank Vogel just voiced why Davis is a “perfect” fit playing next to James.
Anthony Davis’ impact in his first year with the Lakers
Since arriving to the Lakers, Anthony Davis has made a tremendous impact next on the franchise.
Davis has played a massive part in LA returning to the NBA Finals for the first time in a decade. He has put together an impressive first campaign with the Lakers that saw him lead the team in scoring while anchoring their defense that has been one of the best units in the league.
That led Davis to earn an All-NBA First Team selection along with finishing second for the Defensive Player of the Year award. His presence has been vital in the Lakers’ deep playoff run as he has continued to be a tremendous factor on both ends of the floor.
What has been most impressive is his immediate connection and chemistry on the floor with Lebron James. It has been a guiding factor in helping the Lakers achieve a great amount of success in the 2019-20 season. It’s something that head coach Frank Vogel believes Davis is an ideal fit alongside James.
Why Anthony Davis is a “perfect” fit next to LeBron James
What has stood out from the start with the Lakers is the cohesiveness that Anthony Davis and LeBron James demonstrate playing together.
It’s created strong, balanced play off each other that is the guiding force for LA. It’s something that head coach Frank Vogel talked about during an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio that he believes Davis’ persona and attitude have made it a “perfect” fit playing with James.
“He has the perfect persona for this team and the perfect persona to complement LeBron James. His demeanor is one of confidence, but one that will listen. One that wants to continue to learn to get better, while still understanding that he’s one of the best players in the game. And the way he has partnered with LeBron in terms of supporting each other, challenging each other, it’s obviously been a huge part of our success this year.
Davis’ performance, coupled with his willingness to learn and grow from James’ leadership and guidance, has been crucial. It has helped the rest of the team fall in line with the game plan and confidence in their structure. The two star forwards have also shown the ability to allow their games to feed off each other.
All that has brought the fuel to the fire to help them make a deep playoff run toward contending for an NBA title.
Huge challenge ahead in the NBA Finals
The Lakers have put forth an impressive run to the NBA Finals behind winning each of the first three playoff rounds in five games.
Their biggest challenge awaits in the Finals against the Miami Heat, who stemmed rolled through the Eastern Conference. It has been much more than just star forward Jimmy Butler heading the charge. The Heat have tremendous depth that has seen various players such as All-Star center Bam Adebayo, rookie Tyler Herro, and veteran guard Goran Dragic each make huge impacts.
It has also seen their stout defense create plenty of problems for opposing teams to score efficiently in this year’s playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics each had much difficulty scoring against their collective play on that end fo the floor. That places tremendous pressure on LeBron James and Anthony Davis to continue to perform at an elite level, while their role players must continue to provide stable production.
All that sets up what should be a highly entertaining NBA Finals with two teams that are four wins away from a championship.
