The Washington Wizards are getting superstar production from Anthony Davis, but it is getting impossible to ignore that the Lakers were right about his best positions. AD wants to play power forward, but that isn’t his best spot. He wanted to be the four in LA for years, but the Lakers kept playing him at the five. It turns out the purple and gold were right, and Washington is getting plenty of evidence as to why.
The Wizards are starting him next to Alex Sarr, but that pairing has a negative-4.1 net rating in 113 minutes through six games. Davis has played 29 minutes next to Deandre Ayton, and Washington has a negative-8.7 net rating with that duo. When AD plays without Sarr and Ayton, the Wizards are plus-10.5 with an elite 120.5 offensive rating.
Davis is averaging 22.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 block in 33.3 minutes per game to start this season. The Wizards have won three of their first six contests for the first time since 2023. There have been significant improvements, but playing AD primarily at his best position could take Washington to another level.
Anthony Davis is best playing center
The stats are nothing new. Davis wants to play next to a traditional big man because it allows him to roam defensively and puts less wear and tear on his body. He asked the Lakers to acquire a center for years, but they kept putting AD in that spot.
Davis struggles to space the floor. He is making 1.0 3-pointer per game this season, which is his best mark since 2020. AD is a career 29.5 percent shooter from long range. He is not a floor spacing threat, so the offensive spacing gets tight when Davis is the four next to a traditional big man.
Davis is also best as the defensive anchor. He is averaging just 1.0 block per game this season in a small sample. He has never been under 1.4 for a full year and averages 2.0 each night for his career. AD is guarding more on the perimeter as the power forward in the nation’s capital, which is limiting his blocks and rim protection chances.
The Wizards are more successful with Davis at center because that is his best position for team success. The Lakers kept playing him there because they knew that was the case. They could deal with AD’s complaints to maximize his production.
Wizards are trying to keep Anthony Davis happy
Davis wanted to be traded to the Lakers and didn’t ask to leave Los Angeles. The purple and gold couldn’t pass up the chance to trade for Luka Doncic in the stunning blockbuster that may go down as the most lopsided trade in NBA history. The Wizards bought low after the Mavericks gutted the front office that made the awful Luka for AD swap.
The ten-time All-Star is in the final guaranteed season of his contract. He has a $62.7 million player option for the 2027-28 season. Declining it would make him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.
The Wizards are getting superstar production, and fans know it is not easy to get that type of talent in the nation’s capital. They want to keep AD happy and potentially grow this into a long-term partnership. That is why he is playing the four and getting the superstar treatment. Still, Washington has tough decisions to make.
Wizards have difficult decisions to make with Anthony Davis
Davis is elite when he plays, but the 33-year-old big man has a lengthy injury history. He wants a massive extension that will run into his late 30s. The Wizards have to decide if that deal is worth it with AJ Dybantsa already looking like a future superstar.
Getting AD to sign is a hurdle. He didn’t ask to be traded to the Wizards. Davis said on media day he plans to wait until after this season to discuss a new contract. Washington can’t let him get to unrestricted free agency and risk losing him for nothing. The Wizards have to quickly decide if he’s a long-term piece and how to make that work.
The Washington Wizards have already found out that the Los Angeles Lakers were right. Anthony Davis’ best position is center. It helps solve the team’s floor spacing issues and makes the future Hall of Famer the defensive anchor. The Wizards are already elite with AD playing the five.
If they lock him in long-term, they need to primarily play him at center. There is no debate. Years of evidence back up Davis being best as his team's center. He prefers to be the power forward, but moving him to the five maximizes the roster around him.
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