(Darren Abate / Associated Press) The chill that went down Frank Vogel’s back before Tuesday’s game against the Timberwolves had nothing to do with Anthony Davis being sidelined and everything to do with the Lakers coach … Is the Best Fit for This Version of Blake Griffin in Brooklyn? Pascal Siakam (Team Giannis) 5. The Lakers distribute roles better than the Bucks. Anthony Davis (Team LeBron) 2. He’s taking fewer (2.6 per game) than he did last season because he’s starting next to a stretch 5 (Marc Gasol) instead of a rim runner (JaVale McGee). The problem is that flexibility can be a gift and a curse if you don’t know which areas to emphasize. Shots at the rim and the 3-point line are the most efficient, but you can’t skip steps along the way when working on your jumper. He was 8-for-9 at the rim on Thursday against the NBA’s no. Their respective series against the Heat last postseason were telling. The Lakers have three more players with retired jerseys than Oklahoma City had available Monday night. The differences in their career numbers from 3 (AD is at 32.0 percent on 1.5 attempts per game, Giannis is at 28.6 percent on 2.1 attempts) and the free throw line (AD is 80.1 percent on 7.1 attempts, Giannis is 71.7 percent on 6.7 attempts) understates the gap because Giannis has been in a nosedive from the charity stripe over the past two seasons. Karl-Anthony Towns scored a quiet 15 points for the Timberwolves, who were outscored 17-5 to start the fourth quarter after a spirited effort over the first three periods. The ‘WandaVision’ Season Finale Exit Survey. Look at the differences in the types of shots that Giannis and AD take: Davis and Giannis are two of the most versatile 7-footers in NBA history. Yahoo Sports. In 2014-15, Anthony Davis had an .833 FG% (15-18) on potential go-ahead FGA in the final 5 minutes of the 4th quarter or OT.Can you name the only other player since 1996-97 to shoot at least 75% on such shots (min. He might be the only player in the league who can challenge Davis on both ends of the floor. Without him, the Lakers fell to Detroit, 107-92. — Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 31, 2021 Davis missed the Pistons game due to a right quad contusion. Anthony Davis exited the Lakers game vs. the Nuggets on Sunday night (ET) with an apparent leg injury in the second quarter. The only other player at their size who’s in the same conversation in terms of two-way ability is Joel Embiid. Would they be using him any differently if he were a glacially slow big man whom they were trying to hide as much as possible? The Bucks Need to Use Giannis Antetokounmpo More Like Anthony Davis Milwaukee needs to go back to the drawing board with its two-time MVP if it wants to get over the hump and reach the Finals. Anthony Davis will start tonight in Boston. Although Boston has struggled a bit themselves, going 10-7 for fourth in the East to start the season, it’s worth noting that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are playing at an All-Star level. Recommended Stories. What did those post-credits scenes mean? Plus, who out of ‘Tea Time’ would survive a zombie apocalypse? But it doesn’t appear any closer to seeing the light on the latter. Milwaukee needs to go back to the drawing board with its two-time MVP if it wants to get over the hump and reach the Finals. But that argument goes out the window when the Bucks are already giving him the green light to launch 30-footers off the dribble while under pressure. Previous article Thanasis trying Everything to help Giannis make free throws. Concern mounted for the … His job is to dominate the paint and kick the ball out to shooters. That has taken a lot of focus off the defense for certain teams. The Lakers announced early in the fourth quarter that Davis had suffered an Achilles strain and would be undergoing an MRI on Monday. What Have We Learned From the First Half of the NBA Season? The talented second-year player is in an unconventional situation, but when the Nuggets move him to the 4 and take advantage of his big frame and excellent shooting, good things happen, The Bears Are Stuck in the Middle of the NFL’s Offseason of Quarterback Movement. After the return of starting point guard Dennis Schröder, the Los Angeles Lakers defense has gone from solid back to elite even as they miss their star defender Anthony Davis. Davis said his injury (which occurred two weeks ago) is not serious, but he doesn’t want to take the risk of playing, if not 100% healthy. He is also shooting efficiently, making 52.2 percent of his shots from the field. Los Angeles beat Miami because it used Davis as a small-ball 5 who guarded Butler. What’s next for Wanda? A player who can’t consistently make free throws will have a hard time making 3s. Once Davis returns to Los Angeles, he'll immediately get another evaluation there. Meanwhile Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a triple-double but the Bucks lost their third-straight, and Anthony Davis went down with an achilles injury in a … But minus Anthony Davis and heavy-legged from two overtimes in their last game, the Lakers had to fight their way through a 119-112 overtime win against the eight … He should be putting pressure on the rim constantly. The big man it lost to on Thursday is a good place to start. Injury news: Anthony Davis (Achilles) is questionable, LeBron James (Ankle) and Alex Caruso (hand) are probable. Copyright © ClutchPoints. The Lakers moved Davis to the 5, which put Brook Lopez on him. Kawhi Leonard (Team LeBron) 4. Instead, it’s disarming him before the game even starts. Defenses will happily let him shoot from the perimeter. Giannis is 26 and Davis is 27. The play below, from crunch time on Thursday, shows why that is so important. PG – Dennis Schroder SG – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope SF – LeBron James PF – Anthony Davis C – Marc Gasol. Giannis had 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting, 12 rebounds, and three assists (along with a career-high nine turnovers), while Davis had 18 points on 8-of-18 shooting, nine rebounds, and six assists. For Giannis, having those moves in his bag would force defenses to change how they guard him. Comparing AD and Giannis is difficult because the former plays with LeBron James. 310 or below 311 or above. Russell Wilson? The Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the NBA and their respective conferences in the first fan ... Anthony Davis (LAL) 955,246. The Lakers' Anthony Davis keeps the ball from the Spurs' Rudy Gay on Jan. 1 in San Antonio. How many total points will be scored in the All-Star game? Like LeBron, the Lakers listed him as questionable prior to Saturday’s contest with the Celtics. The Purple and Gold franchise has already lost two in a row, which didn’t sit well with LeBron James and Co. who pride themselves for being able to bounce back after a loss and not losing two straight games. He might as well not have been on the floor. He barely guarded James Harden (2.0) or Kevin Durant (1.9). But Vogel identified the right adjustment against the Rockets, benching McGee and Dwight Howard, playing Davis at the 5, and then using him as a free safety on Russell Westbrook. Anthony Davis #3, FC, Los Angeles Lakers ... LeBron or Steph Luka or Giannis Jokic or Embiid Rest of field or tie. The same thing happened when the Bucks faced Kawhi Leonard in 2019. Budenholzer has never been as comfortable downsizing. Lopez did about as well as could be expected on the play. Anthony Davis' MRI revealed a calf strain and a re-aggravation of the right Achilles tendonosis, source said. Davis has played more than twice as many minutes at the 5 this season (47) as Giannis (19). Those moves reversed momentum and ended the series before it ever got interesting. It’s like using a medieval catapult to launch stones over a wall and expecting it to have the accuracy of a cruise missile. They will be competing for awards and championships for the next half-decade. — Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 31, 2021. They should be the reward for a big man who has put in the work closer to the basket. The difference is that Lakers coach Frank Vogel takes advantage of his star 7-footer, especially in the playoffs. Giannis should take these types of contested jumpers out of his game: The area of the floor that Giannis should be working on is the mid-post and between 3 and 10 feet from the basket. Anthony Davis shared his thoughts on the Achilles injury that has forced him to miss the last two games of the Los Angeles Lakers. Yet Giannis is taking more 3s than ever. Anthony Davis injured his quad during Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets (10 p.m. Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is a firm believer that teammate LeBron James should win his fifth MVP award this season. The ability to make open standstill shots 15 feet from the basket is a leading indicator of shooting ability. But, that’s if politics don’t get in the way, per Harrison Faigen. They’re not as glamorous or as fun, but they are more important. Los Angeles: Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis faces a lengthy injury layoff despite a scan revealing he had not suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, ESPN reported on Monday.. ESPN said Davis was unlikely to return to action before the NBA's All-Star break, due to take place from 5-10 March. But Giannis may never face Davis in the NBA Finals unless the Bucks learn how to use him. According to NBA Advanced Stats, Giannis was the primary defender on Butler for 9.9 possessions compared to 80.0 for Davis. Sam Darnold? There will also be added motivation for the youngsters given the Lakers rivalry and the fact that they split their two matchups during the 2019-20 season. Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) with a buzzer beater vs the Boston Celtics, 01/30/2021. Ideas include adding dates the lead can afford, utilizing immunity idols, and going on double dates, Charles and Van Lathan rank and analyze the three songs and discuss where they think Drake is in his career ahead of his next album, ‘Certified Lover Boy’. Giannis needs to develop the floater and midrange game that Davis has mastered: To be sure, these shots are harder than they appear. The team is starting to figure out the former by running more offense on the perimeter through Khris Middleton in crunch time. Milwaukee allows Giannis to be too versatile on offense and not enough on defense. But while LeBron is still the MVP of the Lakers, Davis was their biggest matchup weapon in the playoffs. He needs a counter for when defenses prevent him from getting to the front of the rim, but that counter shouldn’t be hurling misguided 3s. It’s not like he had much success as the primary option in New Orleans. They played him for the charge over and over again. Anthony Davis will start tonight in Boston. Both are just now entering their prime. Fortunately, they’ll be able to be at full strength with AD returning to the starting unit. Giannis spent most of the game on Jeff Green (34.0 possessions) and DeAndre Jordan (6.3). https://www.talkbasket.net. They adjusted their lineups to emphasize him on offense and moved him all over the floor on defense. 3. Charles Holmes and Van Lathan discuss their reactions to and analysis of the season finale of Disney+’s ‘WandaVision’, Russillo also talks to Schrager about the upcoming NFL draft, New England’s plan to remain competitive, and more, Some topics include Joel Embiid’s dominance, Zion Williamson’s rise into superstardom, and the art of tanking, Content ©2020 The Ringer All Rights Reserved, The Bucks Need to Use Giannis Antetokounmpo More Like Anthony Davis, The ‘WandaVision’ Finale Was All About Closure, After a burst of MCU-style action, the series came to an end by focusing on the relationship between its two protagonists. Giannis should be building his game from the inside-out, not the outside-in. The Lakers don’t need Davis to be a prolific 3-point shooter. He has gone from 72.9 percent to 63.3 and now 58.3 this season. Next article Shaquille O’Neal thought Pascal and Siakam are two different people. The 3-pointer is the dessert. Giannis could do the same thing. While he was able to play through it, the injury proved to be bothersome that he had to miss the meeting with the Pistons. Lopez then switched AD’s screen on LeBron, who ultimately buried a 3 in his face. A big reason why the Lakers have been an excellent defense without Davis in the lineup has been the leadership and defensive play of … Giannis Antetokounmpo sent a message at the start of the Bucks’ showdown against the Lakers on Thursday. Davis is the early front-runner for DPOY this season and averages 21.1 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting. How the Bears address the quarterback position this spring will determine their 2021 chances—and shape the franchise’s future far beyond that. One of the reasons that Antetokounmpo totaled nine turnovers and six fouls against the Lakers is that they knew he wanted to bulldoze anyone in his way. The Lakers were without Marc Gasol and Anthony Davis in the team’s 114-104 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday at Staples Center. The problem is that your team should have higher expectations when it has Giannis, who was standing in the corner guarding Alex Caruso: Milwaukee should be doing everything in its power to keep Antetokounmpo involved in the main actions on defense. They played to a relative draw on Thursday, although the Lakers won 113-106 thanks to LeBron’s season-high 34 points. Mac Jones? The 27-year-old big man is averaging 21.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 blocks this 2020-21 campaign. Giannis is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and averaging 27.0 points per game on 53.8 percent shooting. They require timing and the ability to go up with balance that Giannis doesn’t always have. Edwards, the first overall pick in the draft, hit his fourth and fifth 3-pointers of the game to cut the lead to 105-100 with 3:28 to go. The Lakers big man doesn’t shoot from the perimeter as much as Giannis, even though he’s a much better shooter. Anthony Davis injury: Lakers' Frank Vogel says star big man will miss an estimated four weeks with calf strain Davis recently missed a few games because of Achilles tendinosis 15 FGA) in a single season? Like the Bucks, the Lakers lost Game 1 of their second-round series. With Devin Booker making the All-Star team as Anthony Davis' replacement, the Suns have multiple All-Stars selections for the first time since 2009-10 (Steve Nash and Amar'e Stoudemire). But there’s no reason for Giannis to settle for jumpers. 1 defense and just 3-for-8 outside of the paint. The Bucks could learn a lot from the NBA’s reigning champions. 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Giannis barely guarded Jimmy Butler while Davis spent most of his minutes on him. Over the last several years, NBA teams have put a major focus on building elite offenses. While he’s not as strong as the back-to-back MVP, he’s a more fluid scorer with better touch: Giannis has always been compared to LeBron James, a four-time MVP who finished second to the Bucks star in last year’s voting, but Davis is his more natural rival. Partner of iOne Digital / Cassius Network. ET) Lakers Projected Lineup. He spent most of their second-round series instead guarding Jae Crowder at the 3-point line and watching Butler light up less capable defenders. Midrange shots are like eating your vegetables. … He posted up and buried Anthony Davis under the rim on the very first possession for an and-1, essentially telling the four-time All-Defensive team selection that he was too small to stop him: But what makes the matchup between the 7-footers so compelling is that Davis went right back at him. Erikas Polockas. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer still doesn’t understand what he has in Giannis. Budenholzer is reactive in the sense that he throws his hands up and hopes that Giannis has a good matchup on defense. The Lakers’ New Beginnings Are Even Better Than Their Championship Finish, Giannis May Be the Next Shaq, but He Needs a Kobe in Crunch Time, Eight NBA Rookies Who Have Struggled, Soared, or Surprised, he’s starting next to a stretch 5 (Marc Gasol) instead of a rim runner (JaVale McGee), by running more offense on the perimeter through Khris Middleton in crunch time, Los Angeles beat Miami because it used Davis as a small-ball 5 who guarded Butler, Letting Go of Watson, the Jets’ Reset, and Free Agency Primer With Peter Schrager. He was replaced by Kyle Kuzma to open the third quarter. After missing Thursday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, Anthony Davis is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers’ starting lineup in time for their highly anticipated showdown against the Boston Celtics. How the Lakers use Davis is a good place to start. Joel Embiid (Team Giannis) 3. Would the oft-injured power forward be better off with the Nets or another team? That’s what happened in the Bucks’ loss to the Nets on Monday. Did the ending match the hype? That strategy doesn’t work against Davis because he can drive with more finesse, knowing that he can stop short and shoot over a defender who’s getting ready to fall down. LeBron James, who was initially listed as questionable for the game, has also received the green light to play against the Lakers’ historic rivals. The former dunk machine has reached a buyout with the Pistons, and contenders are already circling. But more important were the differences in how each team used its star big man on both ends of the floor. Kemba Walker (Team Giannis) 7. If Milwaukee wants to get over the hump and reach the Finals, it needs to go back to the drawing board with Giannis. Nick Foles? LeBrilliant: James' 37 points lead Lakers past Bucks 113-103. The Thunder were that short-handed. Davis missed the Pistons game due to a right quad contusion. Luka Doncic (Team LeBron) 6. Davis is the only other player in the league who can do as many things as him on defense, and guard as many types of players. Getty Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis. Nets' James Harden And Lakers Star Anthony Davis Headline Reserves For NBA All-Star Game The Western Conference and Eastern Conference reserves for the March 7 All-Star Game were announced on Tuesday. This should be one of the defining individual rivalries of the 2020s. His production is certainly needed against a Boston team that continues to be a threat in the Eastern Conference. Vogel proactively seeks out the best one for Davis. 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