It's no secret that Anthony Davis' jumper has never been the same since winning his first championship in the 2020 Orlando bubble. After an offseason spent diligently tightening his release and honing his range, though, coach Darvin Ham has issued an ambitious shooting goal for the Los Angeles Lakers big man in 2023-24.

“I want him, if he can — I know he won't do it, but maybe he'll shock me — but I've requested to see six 3-point attempts a game,” Ham said of Davis after Tuesday's practice, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Three per half, at least. I wouldn't put that on him if I didn't think he was capable.”

Anthony Davis' streaky 3-point history

Davis has hit an ugly 23.8% of his triples over the last three seasons, averaging 1.8 attempts per game. He launched just 1.3 triples per game in 2022-23, the eight-time All-Star's lowest amount since he initially made the long ball a semi-regular part of his game all the way back in 2015-16.

Though Davis has never managed league-average accuracy from beyond the arc in any season of his 11-year career, he shot a solid 38.3% from deep on nearly three attempts per game in the 2020 playoff while helping Los Angeles to a title alongside LeBron James. Considering the unique environment of the bubble atmosphere and his subsequent shooting struggles, there's an assumption that Davis may not ever reach that high-water mark again.

Don't tell that to Ham and the Lakers, however. Davis is 3-of-6 on triples across 27 minutes of preseason action so far, his jump shot looking as smooth as it's been in years—no surprising given the emphasis being stressed by Los Angeles' coaching staff.

“We talk about getting more 3s up,” Davis said after Monday's exhibition win over the Brooklyn Nets. “Obviously, it's been a point of emphasis and the way the league has shifted, a lot of 3s. But they all came in rhythm…We just want to be confident in our shots and let it fly.”

What made bubble Davis so dangerous wasn't just that he was a legitimate threat from three while picking and popping, spotting up on the weak side or trailing in transition. He also shot a borderline elite 49.6% on two-point jumpers outside the paint during the Lakers' title run, swishing jumper after jumper in isolation and on short rolls in ball-screen actions.

Only time will tell if Davis will ever reach that shooting peak again. As long as he lets fly with confidence, though, Ham is optimistic the hard work Davis has put in on his jump shot will pay off in 2023-24.

“That's something that he's worked on — being a more consistent shooter and not just more consistent in his [normal] areas but consistent from deep range,” Ham said. “And not hesitating. Not overthinking it. So if he's got a good look, we've all encouraged him to put it up.”