When he's on and healthy, Anthony Davis might be the best defender in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers star is an elite rim protector, but he's also able to hang with most guards on the perimeter. His ability to protect the paint without being a complete liability makes him one of the most valuable defenders in the league.

After a win against the Blazers, Davis talked about his role on defense for the Lakers, per ClutchPoints' Michael Corvo. The star forward used a football analogy to illustrate his role in LA. Based on his performance, we can say that this is quite the fair analogy.

“Anthony Davis on his defensive role after the Lakers' In-Season Tournament win vs. the Trail Blazers: “I’m the d-line, the linebacker, safety, cornerback. Everything, I’m everywhere… I just try to be that anchor for the guys, knowing that they got protection on the back line.””

It was a dominant showing for the Lakers, who relied on their defense to give them a big chance at winning. They limited Portland to just 95 points, and the game never truly felt like it was close. At the helm of the defense is, of course, Anthony Davis. Davis was responsible for all but one of LA's six blocks, while also snagging three steals. He also added 16 points and 14 rebounds for good measure.

The Lakers now are at 7-6, right in the middle of the Western Conference. There's been some growing pains, but so far, the new-look LA squad has looked much better. As long as Davis continues to perform as well as he's did today, LA will be just fine.