All-Star Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis submitted probably his second-best season as a Laker in 2023-24, beyond only his 2019-20 run with the club (back when he could still make a jumper and was mostly a power forward), where he was the second-player on a championship team. He’s packed on some weight since then, as he’s moved into a full-time center role with the Purple and Gold.
In 2023-24, Davis appeared in a career-most 76 regular season games, averaging 24.7 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the floor and 81.6 percent shooting from long range, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 dimes, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest, as the best player on a 47-35 Lakers club. He also looked better defensively than he had since the middle of 2022-23, and was rewarded for his efforts on that end with an All-Defensive First Team honor (his third).
But apparently, all that wasn’t enough to placate his peers.
Per The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Josh Robbins, in an anonymous poll of current NBA players this spring (81 votes were cast regarding this particular topic), Davis received the 11th-most votes as the league’s most overrated player. His 2.5% of total player votes ties him with former Lakers teammate Patrick Beverley (who’s been on several teams since his 2022-23 Los Angeles tenure, most recently the Milwaukee Bucks), Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, and Boston Celtics power forward Jayson Tatum.
One of the Lakers’ top rumored trade prospects this summer, all-offense, no-defense Atlanta Hawks All-Star point guard Trae Young, received the third-most votes of any candidate (7.4%), behind only Defensive Player of the Year Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert and “Shaqtin’ A Fool” regular Jordan Poole, now turning the ball over with hilarious regularity for the Washington Wizards.
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