After Game 1 of this first-round series against the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis put the blame on himself and knew that he needed to be better for the team to succeed.
Many also called for the team to remove big man Andre Drummond from the starting lineup in order for Davis to have more room to operate.
Head coach Frank Vogel stuck with his starting lineup, however, and they came through. Drummond posted a double-double, but it was Davis who put the team on his back with 34 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks as the Lakers evened the series with a win in Game 2.
Following the victory, Drummond had nothing but praise for his frontcourt counterpart.
“AD had a solid game today,” the Lakers center said. “He did exactly what he said he was going to do… He held his word. He did exactly what he’s supposed to do. Defensively he was great, offensively he did what he did. He’s an All-Star, Hall of Fame player. He did what he was supposed to do and helped us win a game tonight.”
It was apparent from the jump that Davis was intent on being aggressive and attacking the Suns in the paint. Drummond did his part in that realm as well, dominating the glass and being a physical presence on both ends of the court. But Davis was the key, and Drummond has plenty of experience with him to know that he would be coming back in a big way in Game 2.
“I’ve been around AD since I was 14 years old and he’s been the same way since we were kids,” Drummond noted. “If he has an off night, he doesn’t want to be bothered. He likes to be to himself and he likes to just process what goes on to find ways to come back and be better next game. He still does that to this day.
“He didn’t have the best game that first playoff game. He did what he was supposed to do and came back the next night and played exactly the way he was supposed to.”
Drummond becoming more comfortable in his role on Lakers
Drummond hasn’t had much time to play with the full-strength Lakers as much of his time has been spent without Davis or LeBron James on the court. As such, once those two returned, Drummond’s role on the team shifted and it is still taking some time to adjust. But Drummond maintains he is getting more comfortable in his role on the team.
“Yeah. For me, like I told you guys before, it’s just finding my role and finding what my niche is for this team and just being the aggressor like I said before,” Drummond noted. “Be the bodyguard for those two guys, LeBron and AD, and just making sure that all the dirty work was getting done.”
Being a physical presence on both ends of the floor and attacking the glass are the biggest things Drummond can contribute on this team. With someone like James able to set him up for easy baskets, everything else will fall into place for the big man should he continue to be aggressive and a presence.
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