From the moment he was hired, JJ Redick believed Anthony Davis could play a much bigger role in the Lakers' offense. Redick told reporters during the preseason that the players and coaching staff intended to have Davis touch the ball as much as possible, which would also lessen the load on a 39-year-old LeBron James.
That plan has worked amazingly well thus far from an offensive standpoint.
Davis is averaging the most points of his career and playing like a top-five MVP candidate. The Lakers have gone from an average offense to ranking No. 4 in offensive efficiency due largely to the perfect role that Redick has crafted for his star center.
Here are the changes Redick has made to unleash Davis and the rest of the Lakers offense.
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Anthony Davis is scoring better than MVP Shaq
Davis' raw numbers are unlike anything the Lakers have seen from a big man.
Los Angeles has been home to storied centers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, George Mikan and Shaq. None have averaged more than Davis' 30.1 points per game. That even includes Shaq during his 2000 MVP season.
| Shaquille O'Neal ('99-'00) | Stat (per game) | Anthony Davis ('24-'25) |
| 29.7 | Points | 30.1 |
| 13.6 | Rebounds | 11.1 |
| 3.8 | Assists | 2.8 |
| 57.4% | Field Goal % | 55.6% |
| 0% | 3-point % | 40.6% |
| 52.4% | Free throw % | 78.1% |
| 57.4% | Effective FG% | 57.9% |
Davis is scoring more efficiently than Shaq did and doing it more frequently. That has happened for a few reasons.
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Davis has rediscovered his 3-pointer
When AD hits his 3s, the Lakers are a different team.
Davis shot 38.3 percent from deep in the 2020 bubble, leading Los Angeles to a championship. Since that hot stretch, he's been both an unwilling and inaccurate shooter. Former head coaches Frank Vogel and Darvin Ham tried to get him to let it fly more often with little success.
Redick has succeeded where his predecessors failed. Davis is hitting 40.6 percent of his 3s while taking them at his highest clip of the last four years (2.1 attempts per game). That commitment to the 3 started in preseason, where Redick drew up an opening play to get AD a 3.
"He knocked it down," Redick said after that game. "Whether that’s confidence or relief, he was willing to shoot tonight. We want him to be willing to shoot."
Redick has hammered Davis to turn himself into a shooting threat throughout the Olympics, preseason and regular season. That confidence in his star has led to immediate results.
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The plan to make Davis an offensive hub is working
Davis is getting more touches, and his decision-making is being put to the test on a nightly basis. He explained his new role in an appearance on SportsCenter earlier in the year.
"It’s some of the schemes that JJ put in, making me the hub of the offense, playing through me. I just gotta make the reads out of that. I’m feeling very confident right now."
Davis has been a great passer at the elbows. Redick has used him there in Warriors-style split actions, where he hits cutters for layups. He's acted as a release valve for James when defenders try to deny him the ball.
Davis has also made some slick passes in the Lakers' delay sets, where he gets the ball at the top of the 3-point line. That has pulled opposing centers higher up on the floor and opened up the paint for layups.
Davis' passing opportunities have been there because of how much more motion is involved in the team's offense.
"We got constant movement when someone has the ball," Davis said on SportsCenter. "There’s not a lot of standing around, not giving a chance for the defense to load up."
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Davis has been the Lakers' primary scoring weapon
This is the first time since James joined the Lakers that he is not leading the team in usage rate. That honor belongs to Davis, who is using 31.6 percent of the team's possessions, which is a shade more than the 31.2 percent MVP Shaq used a quarter century ago.
While Shaq was a low post force, Davis has been a much more versatile offensive player. He's been good in isolation and remains one of the best rollers in the league, ranking in the 95th percentile of players. He's a great finisher at the rim, he has a nice floater and he has rediscovered that jumper to keep defenses honest. There's simply no way to stop him these days.
Davis has taken over as the clear best player on this team, and it's been by Redick's design. That has eased the burden on James, who is still playing like an All-NBA player himself.
Davis always had these skills in him, but Redick saw how to utilize his passing, shooting and scoring. It's led to the best season of Davis' career and a Lakers offense that is one of the best in the league.
