Anthony Davis did not hold back on one the NBA and one Timberwolves star in particular while talking about the league awards.
Anthony Davis has earned his reputation as one of the best defenders in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers man is a dynamic big who can guard all positions on the court.
His defensive prowess was on full display against the Celtics on Thursday night. The former All-Star had one steal and three blocks, as Davis said the Lakers beat them at their own game.
But for all of his defensive greatness, Davis has never won a coveted Defensive Player of the Year award. One Lakers teammate suggested the team doesn’t use AD correctly, which could be one of the reasons.
However, Anthony Davis has his own theory of why he hasn’t earned the award yet. His comments hint at frustration towards the NBA and one player in particular.
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Speaking in an interview with Shams Charania, Anthony Davis pondered why he hadn’t been named Defensive Player of the Year yet. AD noted that the goalposts keep moving. Every time he feels he meets the criteria, the criteria seem to change.
“[Damian Lillard] said this before, that the goalpost moves every time he’s up for something. When I first got into the league, Defensive Player of The Year was awarded to a big that blocked shots, who led the league in blocked shots.”
“I’ve done that three times early on in my career here and it didn’t come to me.”
Davis then seemed to aim shots at Rudy Gobert, who has won the DPOY four times. Davis echoed many people’s sentiments, as Gobert has come under fire for his win.
“We have guys who are winning this award that all they do is block shots. But they’re not good in pick-and-roll, not good in one-on-one defense.”
“If you look at me, I guard one through five, last year I was the best defender in the pick and roll. I’m coming off pin-downs, it doesn’t matter.”
“Whatever you want me to do defensively, I can do. And I know it has a lot to do with the team defense as well which confuses me because it’s an individual award.”
Davis’ frustration was clear to see in the interview, as he also called out the Lakers front office. AD wants to see the team improve, so he can play at his best.
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Anthony Davis is well within his rights to be upset. The Lakers star has registered eight seasons with 120+ blocks in his NBA career.
On top of that, he has regularly been one of the best defenders on his team throughout his career. But for all his efforts, he hasn’t won a Defensive Player of the Year award.
His best season as a defender came in his first season as a Laker, as he averaged 1.5 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. Davis finished second that season behind Giannis Antetokounmpo in the DPOY race.
This season, Davis has been stellar, averaging 1.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per game with a defensive rating of 108.5, the best on the Lakers.
Perhaps this could be the year Davis finally gets his flowers and wins the Defensive Player of the Year.
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