NBA Playoffs must-follow storylines: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers
3. How much time is Davis willing to commit at center?
The last time Anthony Davis faced Portland in the playoffs, he was a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, finally embracing all the fruit that emanates from his presence at the five. The Blazers fell to a sweep at the hands of incredible dominance by AD in the form of 33.0 points on 57.6 percent shooting, 11.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 steals per game.
The Lakers don’t have the shooting that Pelicans team did with Nikola Mirotic at power forward, but they’ve still been better off with their best big man as the only such player on the court.
Lineups featuring Davis at center this season are a plus-5.8 per 100 possessions compared to plus-5.6 when he’s the power forward — per CTG. This difference might seem insignificant, but the Lakers would be doing a disservice to their title hopes if they didn’t embrace every advantage at their disposal.
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Playing center doesn’t just slot Davis against matchups who can’t match his mobility. It does wonder for his All-Star running mate. Lineups featuring Davis in the middle alongside James — without the absent Bradley — are a plus-11.7, including a defense that ranks in the 98th percentile.
Davis was hesitant to command the middle full-time, wary of the toll it could take over the course of an 82-game season. It’s why LA went out and brought in JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard to fill those minutes.
If he was trying to conserve energy, now would be a pretty good time to unleash it. Doing so at his natural position would still yield positive results, but all signs point to the Lakers being at their best when Davis is the center. In pursuit if of a championship, that’s all that should matter in the decision.