After dropping their first five games to start the season, the Los Angeles Lakers have now won two straight games following their thrilling overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. One of the driving forces for the Lakers so far has been Anthony Davis fighting through his back issues to be a rock for the team on both ends of the court.
Davis has basically been operating as the sole big man for the Lakers and has done a great job banging with some of the more bruising big men the NBA has to offer. But what is most important is the Lakers seem to be building some momentum and Davis stressed the need for the Lakers to remember the feeling as he believes the team is beginning to figure things out.
“Just keep this feeling… Just got to fight,” Davis said after the Lakers’ three-point win. “Try to stay in this moment of remembering how winning feels. We want to continue to do it. Matt [Ryan] come in and it’s a big, big-time shot. All the guys are engaged, staying ready locked in. We know that in our defense, they’re doing your job. We just need the offense to catch up.”
“It’s starting to click, we’re starting to find things. Find rotations, find situations where we really good and guys are standing ready, coming in, and playing well. So we’re starting to put everything together.”
Obviously one of those big moves was Darvin Ham moving Russell Westbrook to a role off the bench which has led to Westbrook’s best stretch in a Lakers uniform. Davis has given a lot of praise to Westbrook for accepting and thriving in that role and Ham is already looking to get the Sixth Man of the Year conversation started.
But when it comes down to what will keep the Lakers on the winning side, Davis made it very clear. “Defense,” the Lakers big man added. “Gave up a 17-point quarter defensively. The defense is what we lay our hats on. We did a great job in that second quarter. Gonna on the run and then scoring 33 in the second.
“So like I said, we’re really starting to put all the pieces together, put everything together on both ends of the floor, but no matter, we’re going to rely on our defense and that’s what we did in that second quarter.”
Even in the Lakers’ losses, the defense was solid and kept them in games with a chance to pull them out if they were able to hit another shot or two. Now the shots are falling at a slightly higher rate and the end result has been wins.
Like Davis said, defense is what the Lakers will rely on and that is always a recipe for success in the NBA.
Davis praises Westbrook for accepting role off Lakers bench
What seems to have been the kickstart for the Lakers is the move of Westbrook to a sixth man role. This is something that is hard for many players to adjust to and Davis made sure to let Westbrook know that he has been outstanding with the change.
“I just told him, honestly, before I walked in here. I said the way you’re playing and handling everything, it’s tremendous… Like you said, to be a player of his caliber and ask to come off the bench, that’s truly a guy who’s doing whatever the team asks to get the win. Sacrificed his starting position for the betterment of the team.
“He’s flourished in that role, that’s all we can ask for. I told him just keep doing what you’re doing, everything you’re doing is unbelievable.
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