The Washington Wizards have a roster constructed to play Anthony Davis at the four, but that is not his best position. It is difficult to win with two non-shooters on the floor in the modern NBA. The Detroit Pistons found that out in the playoffs when they were upset in the second round after having the best regular season record in the East. AD wants to play the four, but he is best at the five.
Davis will tell fans otherwise. He just said this on the Numbers on the Board podcast.
“For me, I feel like I’ve been most successful in my career when I’ve had another big.”
The Lakers won the championship in 2020 with AD playing the four, but he forgets an important fact that he hasn’t replicated since.
Anthony Davis made shots during the 2020 championship run
AD took 60 3-pointers over 21 games during the bubble playoffs and made them at a 38.3 percent clip. He played next to JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard, but the Lakers didn’t have two non-shooters. Davis was spacing the floor and stretching the defense.
That was a small sample size aberration. Since the bubble, AD has shot 25.8 percent on 512 3-point attempts during the regular season. The volume has plummeted as the shots have rarely fallen.
Lakers were right to move Anthony Davis to center
AD took a shot at the Lakers for playing him at the five later in that podcast. Here is what he had to say.
“I’ve always played at like 250-255, and that year I had gotten to 265. I didn’t like it. I was actually probably like 268. I was like I can’t play like this, so I tried to cut during the season, but when you try to do that while you’re playing is tough. That when I went was like, I want another big, but it just didn’t happen. But now, you guys will see. Put me alongside another big, and it is a different ballgame for me.”
Davis forgets the Lakers were bounced in the first round of the playoffs in 2021 with AD playing the four. LA acquired Russell Westbrook in the offseason and had more spacing concerns.
In the two postseasons where the ten-time All-Star primarily played the five, the Lakers made the conference finals in 2023 and were bounced in the first round in 2024. They lost to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets both times. The Joker was a bad matchup, but AD otherwise had success at the five.
The Lakers learned the value of spacing. They knew they couldn’t win without it. Finding a stretch five is difficult and expensive. Instead, Los Angeles just made Davis their center.
Wizards will quickly learn what Lakers already know about Anthony Davis
Washington traded for Deandre Ayton and already had Alex Sarr. They are giving AD his wish to play the four. Davis will have another big man next to him in most lineups as the Wizards look to exit their rebuild.
Every champion since the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 has had at least four shooters in their starting lineup. If AD plans to play the four, he needs to increase his 3-point volume and make more. Washington isn’t a serious title contender, but they want to return to the playoffs. Having a cramped floor is an easy way to stifle an offense.
Davis is in the final guaranteed season of his contract and has yet to suit up for the Wizards. He is healthy to start the year and playing for a new contract. There will be more trade rumors if AD plans on waiting until after the season to discuss a new deal. Washington is trying to keep him by playing Davis at his preferred position.
The Wizards simply won’t have enough shooting and floor spacing. The paint will be cramped, and it will be difficult for number one overall draft pick AJ Dybantsa to get bucket inside. Trae Young is a worse shooter than his reputation suggests, which will further complicate this issue.
Anthony Davis wants to play next to a center, but his best position is the five. The Washington Wizards will quickly find that out. AD is a subpar shooter who needs floor spacing around him. That is no shot at the future Hall of Famer. He is still a superstar, but the Wizards need to maximize his skill set by putting him in the best position to succeed.
The answer is playing him at the five. The Lakers know from experience, and it won’t take long for that to become clear in the nation’s capital.
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