BREAKING NEWS: Darvin Ham’s defensive strategy against the Kings is criticized by Anthony Davis.
The Lakers‘ most recent game saw them lose 120-130 to the Sacramento Kings, which knocked them down to the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference. Darvin Ham’s defense-oriented strategy did not seem to satisfy Anthony Davis, as Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox scored a combined 70 points in the game.
“A few defensive lapses on our part gave De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk the freedom to score freely and remain in the paint. They were quite successful in controlling what we were doing because Sabonis would be completely exposed if I went to help.
After the game, Darvin Ham talked about the Lakers’ weak defensive approach for Fox and Monk, which was made public.
We devised a scheme to push Malik onto his left hand and drive him into his right. We weren’t very good at that in actual gameplay. Because they make the shots you’re trying to give up like those tough twos, those two guys are tough. Sabonis was able to become involved when we managed to force a miss.”
In a difficult game against Sacramento, Anthony Davis scored just 14 points and allowed Domantas Sabonis to grab 11 rebounds to his 20. Though it came at the expense of Fox and Monk completely dominating the Lakers on the perimeter and finding simple ways to attack the rim, he deserves credit for keeping Sabonis from having a huge scoring night.
Anthony Davis Is The Lakers’ Secret Weapon
Because AD was healthy and playing well, the Lakers were able to embark on an amazing run in the second half of the previous season. His importance on defense is undeniable, despite the fact that his offensive output might fluctuate at times. The Lakers defense is carried by Davis alone.
The Kings were able to take advantage of the lack of defensive talent on this team by utilizing speedy guards and placing a strong cover like Sabonis on AD.
Even LeBron James discussed this after the game, pointing to AD’s foul problems as the crucial moment when the defense collapsed for the squad.
“When AD picked up his second, it vanished. That’s how easy it is. When he picked up his second in the first quarter and we had to make the substitution, our defense kind of just faltered because someone like that controls so much of it.”
By the end of the first quarter, the Kings had quickly adjusted after the Lakers blew an early 17-point lead. They took over the game at that point, outscoring the Lakers by 24 points in the second quarter. Davis was not positioned to be successful defensively, especially considering the team’s dreadful strategy to stop Fox and Monk.
Going forward, they cannot afford to make such tactical errors, particularly in front of tonight’s crucial game against the Bucks.
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