Lakers News: Charles Barkley Confident Anthony Davis Can Have Series Of His Life Against Warriors

AD turned in a dominant Game 1 performance. Can he do it at least three more times?

On balance, Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis has been absolutely incredible during LA's postseason so far. Through six playoff games against the Memphis Grizzlies and now one contest against the Golden State Warriors, the Brow is averaging 22.1 points on 50.4% shooting from the floor, 15 rebounds (!), 4.3 blocks (!), 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals a night.

Last night's 117-112 victory against Golden State may have represented his most dominant night yet, where he absolutely obliterated the Warriors' front line (despite a solid night from starting Golden State center Kevon Looney) in helping lead LA to a Game 1 win. Davis scored 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the floor, pulled down 23 rebounds (as did Looney, given that he was the only Warrior in the paint for most of the night), dished out five assists, and swatted away four blocks, though it certainly felt like he should have recorded a few more rejections.

After the game, TNT's Charles Barkley, who knows a thing or two about dominating opposing frontcourts and was the only broadcaster on his Emmy-winning "NBA On TNT" (possibly the greatest show on TV) to pick LA to win its series against Golden State, noted that he believes Davis might be able to turn in this kind of stellar two-way performance during every game of this series.

“If he’s motivated, he’s gonna get this every game.”

Chuck on AD's Game 1 performance vs. Warriors pic.twitter.com/3YQ3txY1A4

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 3, 2023

"There's nothing they can do about [Anthony Davis' play]," Barkley opined. "Looney is too slow of foot. Draymond's too little. I said before the game, I said at halftime, it's going to come down [to], can Golden State make enough threes to offset it? Listen, Looney is a good player, but he's got no foot speed trying to guard AD... If [Davis is] motivated, he’s gonna get this every game... 'Cause he ain't going to shrink, Looney's not going to get faster in two days, Draymond's not going to grow. It's going to come down to, can they make enough threes?" 

Davis has previously enjoyed higher-scoring playoff runs. His peak was notching 31.5 points in a four-game sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors during the 2015 Western Conference playoffs. Even with the Lakers in 2020, he averaged 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals a night. Though he had some down scoring nights against Memphis, his paint play thus far this year, especially on defense, has been absolutely incredible. It does feel like a healthy Davis has at least a few more 30+ scoring nights in his immediate future against this smaller, more perimeter-oriented Warriors club.

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