Los Angeles Lakers: The case for Anthony Davis at center

The Los Angeles Lakers have brought in a bunch of new faces, but to maximize the team’s potential, it will require downsizing the starting lineup with Anthony Davis at center.

After coming up short in the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, the Los Angeles Lakers were quick to pivot the remainder of their cap space towards filling out the roster with those still available on the market.

Among the flurry of signings by Los Angeles was the addition of two starting-caliber centers in DeMarcus Cousins and JaVale McGee. The two play vastly contrasting styles of play, with Boogie being a physical and capable option offensively and McGee being the more athletic stalwart at the defensive end.

Conventional wisdom suggests new Lakers head coach Frank Vogel should start one and have the other come off the bench, providing a more balanced rotation and traditional lineup. But, as the NBA has clearly shown over the last few years, basketball in 2019 is not the same game as it was even just a decade ago.

More and more we see NBA coaches opting for speed instead of size with their various lineup choices, favoring guys who can guard multiple positions over an interior post presence. It’s a move that helps maximize the 3-point centric offense and switch-heavy defenses the league rolls out on a nightly basis.

In acquiring Anthony Davis prior to the draft, L.A. obtained not only one of the best players in all the NBA, but a guy capable of so much more than your average big man. His 2.4 career blocks per game average ranks 13th all-time with the length and quickness to corral those smaller than himself around the perimeter.

Following a back-and-forth between the two frontcourt spots, the six-time All-Star made a full commitment to the center spot this past season. Per 36 minutes, he averaged career-highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals, becoming the model example of a modern-day man in the middle who, at just 26 years of age, has yet to reach his prime

The Lakers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams last season, ranking just 29th in percentage. They sought to remedy those woes by bringing in the likes of Danny Green and Jared Dudley, but with LeBron James likely to make the full-time transition to the point guard spot, the soon to be 35-year-old will need as much space as he can get.

Having shot just 33.1 percent from beyond the arc last season and 31.4 for his career, AD is no outside sniper. It’s his presence at the center spot that allows L.A. to throw out one more perimeter option to help open lanes for LeBron, and the Brow should also prove much better than a traditional seven-footer at switching defensively.

Even without an outside shot, Davis’ combined athleticism and improved ball-handling afford him the ability to get to spots on the floor that help make up his shooting woes in ways Cousins and McGee can’t provide.

Both Cousins or McGee don’t come without their own respective value. It’s why they were brought on as players who can impact the game. Should L.A. decide to go small, Vogel will have the opportunity to flip-flop his two centers with vastly different skill-sets depending on what the game demands.

In a league where teams look to exploit every mismatch possible, however, neither brings enough to the table to warrant a spot in the starting lineup. Anthony Davis, on the other hand, is arguably the best big man in the NBA today who checks all the boxes when it comes to operating the 5-spot.

AD will ultimately get his no matter the position he’s in, but the Lakers didn’t pay a premium only to not get a full return. In their ultimate pursuit of a championship, it starts with unleashing the full range of powers from a superstar whose ideal position for both himself and the team couldn’t be any clearer.