5 Ways Anthony Davis Can Improve Next Season

4. Counter Moves:

Apr 15, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) looks to pass the ball as San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) defends during the first quarter at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

I don’t ever see Davis as a dominant low post scorer, but when he does find himself on the block he needs more than one or two ways to get the job done.

At this point, he has a pretty good running hook, and a solid turnaround jumper but that’s about it. He’s also pretty weak with his left hand, and tends to over play to his right.

That weakness can occasionally force him to lose his balance, and could be remedied by a more comfortable post skill-set.

I think three-point shooting and driving are more important, but there will be nights when the shots aren’t falling and Davis isn’t getting calls at the rim. On those nights, he should be able to establish position and rely on the post.

Additionally, when he develops an outside shot teams will put more athletic wing defenders on him who he can’t blow past (Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler) and he will need to rely on his height to punish those quicker match-ups down low.

Ideally, he should continue to work on his turnaround fade-away, and add a counter option where he can fake the jumper and pivot towards the basket. Just adding that one move would give him something to rely on when nothing else is falling.

At that point, 99% of the League is a mismatch for him.

It will also help his play-making. Like I mentioned earlier, being able to initiate from the post will increase his scoring numbers and help him find teammates when he draws a double team.

The biggest advantage, post games age like wine. Eventually, Davis will transition into playing center, and lose some of his athleticism. At that point, he will be able to turn to his back to the basket game the same way Kobe and LeBron have in the twilight of their careers.

Personally, I see Davis’ offensive game relying much more on his shooting and slashing throughout his career, but as he ages being able to score on the block will become increasingly important.

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