Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel praised star power forward Anthony Davis as the “best defender in the league” following Davis' seven-block performance against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night:
Frank Vogel believes Anthony Davis is the “best defender in the league” #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) February 22, 2020
Vogel pointed to Davis' ability to switch in the pick-and-roll as well as his tendency to hunt blocks and make plays from the weak side (via Bill Oram of The Athletic):
Vogel called Davis the “best defender in the league from a versatility standpoint.” Aggressive guards like the Grizzlies’ Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks found no room to operate when they got Davis in the pick-and-roll, and he was likewise stifling against the Memphis big men.
“His ability to switch out and mix it up in transition, all of those are areas he impacts the game,” Vogel said. “He’s the best defender in the league, simplest way to put it.”
Both Vogel and LeBron James suggested Davis is deserving of the Defensive Player of the Year Award, with James also commenting on Davis' do-it-all mentality:
“He does everything,” James said. “He’s able to protect the rim, he’s able to guard in the post, he’s able to switch out to guards. He’s able to block shots when guys are shooting floaters and runners. Get steals. I mean, he does everything defensively for us.”
Even Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks had to admit just how dominant Davis was on the defensive end.
Davis has been named to an All-Defensive Team three times in his career, though he has never actually won Defensive Player of the Year. But he has had an unmistakable impact on this Laker team, averaging 2.5 blocks and 1.6 steals per game.
This might be the season in which Davis finally captures DPOY, which is long overdue considering he was considered a defensive-minded player coming out of Kentucky.
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