Victor Wembanyama, Bam Adebayo and Rudy Gobert. The 2024 Defender of the Year is among this trio. Which means that Anthony Davis will not win this trophy. Once again, the voters neglected him even though with his qualities and his impact, the All-Star interior clearly has the profile. Enough to lose patience and hope…
“I’m never going to win it. They will never give it to me. The league doesn't like me”, he reacts. “I am the best defender in the league, I can defend on the playmaker as well as on the pivot. I can defend on the pick-and-roll like no one in the league, on the inside. I counter, I get rebounds. I don't know what else to do. I've had it up to here. I will do my best to win the title. I'm done with awards and trophies. »
Some figures prove Anthony Davis right. Direct inside opponents only scored 0.63 points per low post possession. No defender, faced with more than 50 actions like that, has done better this season. When he takes care of an attacker in isolation or in the post, the 2020 champion limits him to 0.83 points. He is in the Top 5 of players who have defended more than 200 actions in this way.
“I can do everything defensively”
Third rebounder and fourth blocker in the league (12.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks on average), “AD” is the pillar of a Lakers defense (the 17th in the NBA) much less strong and feared when he is on the bench or absent .
“I can block shots, I can help on the weak side, I can switch on anyone, defend on the pick-and-roll, take care of an outside and then come back inside to prevent a lobbed pass , I can defend in the post”, he lists. “Whatever is possible in defense, I am capable of it. That's my quality: I can do everything defensively. »
Anthony Davis did not come far from winning this trophy for defender of the year, in 2020. But it was Giannis Antetokounmpo, for his performances and because Milwaukee had the best defense of the season, who dominated the votes . In 2015 and 2018, he was also in the Top 5.
“I don’t know the criteria to win this trophy but I am focused on being good for my team in defense and helping them win the title”he concludes.
| Anthony Davis | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | NOP | 64 | 29 | 51.6 | 0.0 | 75.1 | 2.6 | 5.6 | 8.2 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 13.5 |
| 2013-14 | NOP | 67 | 35 | 51.9 | 22.2 | 79.1 | 3.1 | 7.0 | 10.0 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 20.8 |
| 2014-15 | NOP | 68 | 36 | 53.5 | 8.3 | 80.5 | 2.5 | 7.7 | 10.2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 24.4 |
| 2015-16 | NOP | 61 | 36 | 49.3 | 32.4 | 75.8 | 2.1 | 8.2 | 10.3 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 24.3 |
| 2016-17 | NOP | 75 | 36 | 50.5 | 29.9 | 80.2 | 2.3 | 9.5 | 11.8 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 28.0 |
| 2017-18 | NOP | 75 | 36 | 53.4 | 34.0 | 82.8 | 2.5 | 8.6 | 11.1 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 28.1 |
| 2018-19 | NOP | 56 | 33 | 51.7 | 33.1 | 79.4 | 3.1 | 8.9 | 12.0 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 25.9 |
| 2019-20 | LAL | 62 | 34 | 50.3 | 33.0 | 84.6 | 2.3 | 7.0 | 9.3 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 26.1 |
| 2020-21 | LAL | 36 | 32 | 49.1 | 26.0 | 73.8 | 1.7 | 6.2 | 7.9 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 21.8 |
| 2021-22 | LAL | 40 | 35 | 53.2 | 18.6 | 71.3 | 2.7 | 7.2 | 9.9 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 23.2 |
| 2022-23 | LAL | 56 | 34 | 56.3 | 25.7 | 78.4 | 3.5 | 9.1 | 12.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 25.9 |
| 2023-24 | LAL | 76 | 36 | 55.6 | 27.1 | 81.6 | 3.1 | 9.5 | 12.6 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 24.7 |
| Total | 736 | 35 | 52.3 | 29.7 | 79.5 | 2.7 | 8.0 | 10.6 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 24.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
