Lakers insider weighs in on 'assertive' Anthony Davis' dominant outing despite dispiriting loss to Warriors

Anthony Davis delivered an impressive double-double performance in the LA Lakers' 111-97 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, with his "assertive" playstyle earning praise from insider Jovan Buha.

In the Lakers' fourth preseason game, Davis played 26 minutes, scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. he shot 10 for 14 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line. He was one of only three Lakers with a positive plus-minus rating, finishing at plus-3.

On an episode of the “Buha’s Block” podcast following the game, Buha commended Davis for his aggressive and focused play. Buha said (31:51):

“I thought he was able to face up and make and-1's against guys, and, like, I just thought he looked really good and really assertive. And I thought he was really engaged."

Davis’ 24 points and 12 rebounds marked his highest output in this year’s preseason, surpassing his previous bests of 17 points and eight rebounds. Buha said (30:55):

“I thought AD looked incredible. I think, overall, he's looked pretty solid during the preseason. On one level, I did like seeing some of the isos and post-ups, particularly for him. He was scoring on almost all of them."

Meanwhile, LeBron James struggled in the game, finishing with just six points on nine shots. Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves added 15 and 13 points, respectively, while rookie Dalton Knecht contributed 19 points off the bench.

Eight Golden State players scored in double digits, led by Moses Moody tallying 21 points off the bench and Steph Curry scoring 16 points.

JJ Redick says Lakers will 'empower' Anthony Davis this season

First-year Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed the team's intention to "empower" Anthony Davis for a standout season in 2024-25.

Before Tuesday’s Lakers-Warriors game, Redick emphasized the coaching staff’s role in helping Davis excel:

“It’s our job to empower him on both sides of the basketball to have a monster year. And I thought he had a monster year last year. But I think the way we want to play, he’s gonna be featured like he always is, but he’s also gonna be hopefully perpetually involved."

Last season, Anthony Davis averaged 24.7 points and a career-high 12.6 rebounds per game, playing 76 games, also a career high.