Why a "Locked In" Anthony Davis is Terrifying

[@VincentVincent_89]

The lakers defense since vando came back has been otherworldly.

[@trafromdatrap]

Vando that guy ngl

[@trulynoel9278]

undefeated since he came back

[@kingsavage5825]

Vando and reddish are great defensively

[@snowmochi1373]

Having someone to secure the rebound when AD is out on the perimeter for help defense is huge.

[@tmoney3301]

@@kingsavage5825Max Christie gettin like that now too🔒

[@seeanthonyn]

When AD has to cover for defensive deficiencies, he has an ok offensive game. When the perimeter defense is great, he doesnt need to work as much on defense and he usually plays a lot better on offense

[@Serenity01871]

The paint was freeeeeeeeeee it is one game

[@chrisjones4482]

Thank you, somebody gets it

[@IsThatMatz]

Thank you. Casuals always saying he “inconsistent” but he literally had the carry the defensive load all season while the lakers were missing vando and reddish for games it’s very hard to be scoring 30 every night while being your teams entire defense best defender in the world By far crazy part is that he’s still Averaging 23 13 and 3😭

[@SaGeForReal]

FACTS🔥🔥

[@bigbangbasketball]

I agree. More help on D will allow him to pace himself

[@markhansson9156]

They finally put a roster of good wings together around Bron/AD. If they can all stay healthy, this team will give everyone in the league fits, including Denver.

[@HoopVenue]

Agreed there, Reddish/Prince have been way better than most could've expected. Now that it seems like Reaves is hitting his stride they have another perimeter creator and floor spacer, awesome squad.

[@johnrouguine3090]

This next defensive gear the Lakers can seemingly kick into is interesting.

[@HoopEnthusiasts]

Ad is similar to embiid in that his body can’t handle going 100% like that every night because of an extensive injury history. But when he is on man is he scary

[@kennn30]

Ya he literally got injured in this game, still continued to dominate

[@ernestagwu]

Embiid goes 100% every game and is pretty durable and consistent during the regular season nothibg like ad

[@HoopEnthusiasts]

@@ernestagwuyeah the last three years he has been healthy in the regular season relatively

[@babyx4125]

@@ernestagwuthere you go “regular season “ not when games are actually meaningful

[@Reallyjoyboyfr]

@@babyx4125cooked his ass, embiid is either choking or is injured when playoff time comes around. AD is more reliable and better

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Lakers finna win the chip being the worst 3 point shooting team in the league, that's swag. They saw 2023 basketball and said no.

[@rshinsec]

This is what anyone with REAL basketball knowledge saw when the Lakers resigned Vando and Rui and added Cam and Prince. There's too much length and too much skill at every position. A fully healthy Lakers squad is terrifying, and they know it too.

[@HoopVenue]

Agreed there

[@vincentjack735]

AD's skill set is so much more than scoring. Even when he's not scoring, his other skills are so important to the game

[@snowmochi1373]

You can tell he’s getting healthier. He’s moving so much better than before. And getting Vando back was huge that takes pressure off AD from anchoring that defense.

[@HoopVenue]

He also lost some weight, big key for his fluidity.

[@sixdesert994]

Why what happened to vando? Did he get traded or got injured?

[@12gark]

​@@sixdesert994he was injured, but now he's back. It wasn't a big issue, but it was in the calf area, so they went super cautious to avoid problems to the Achilles. He's not starting because Reddish is just too good at the moment.

[@sixdesert994]

@@12gark i see, thanks. Good to see him back

[@raingeart1]

If Davis can have the fortune of good health, he will be a beast this year, The Lakers need another good center so he can play at the 4 more

[@djdarklyceum]

I agree, look at Minnesota this year..

[@HoopVenue]

To be fair, the Minnesota situation is hard to compare because KAT's an all-time shooting big, and Naz Reid stretches the floor as well. Writing this comment made me realize how crazy Naz in LA would be.

[@SwaysClips]

lots of great defenders in the league but ain’t no one as versatile as AD

[@TJWest-if3ny]

You’re the first video I’ve seen acknowledge the groin injury. It seemed to slow him and affect his mobility in the 2nd half. Great video!!

[@HoopVenue]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@TheCaptaincv]

It's funny to see the difference on the defensive side between a good defensive player (myles turner) and an all time great (AD). Myles look as he was never in the good spot, always abuse by either the ball handler or the screener while AD looks like he was everywhere. I would love to see this AD against Gobert to see how they both would handle each other.

[@arole24]

Ad gives ruby that work everytime..Last 2 games he scored 38 points on him

[@elisamuelpedraza8228]

Well... The Turner's the only good defender on Indiana while AD had Vanderbilt, Reddish and LeBron. Turner didn't have a chance to be on a good spot because he had to recover too many times. If AD were on the same situation he would look kinda similar, even though I consider him a better defender than Turner

[@TheCaptaincv]

@@elisamuelpedraza8228 Yep that's why i still give flower to myles even if in this match he couldn't do anything and he have pretty much no help he is still a good defender. But i want to see this against Rudy who is known to cover both the lob threat and the ball handler pretty well on PnR. Maybe it will be as effective or maybe they will simply use another way to give AD good looks.

[@justinwilder4489]

@@TheCaptaincv you speak as if ad and Rudy never play each other😂

[@Deadmisterdavis]

JOE IS THAT YOU ? LMAOOOO W VIDEO BRO !

[@lokilucario]

We've been aware of AD being a beast since forever. It's been his consistency that's been in question, never his skill.

[@jonz23m]

He has literally the best player on the lakers but gets only attention when has a bad game.

[@genshishio9316]

This game solidified some of my thoughts about AD. He’s a PF, don’t make him play C unless it’s a small ball team, he should be used like Freak on the defensive end. Also, dude can’t go full tilt without getting hurt. Don’t know what it is with his body, but any time he gets on the zone his body starts to quit on him. He usually picks one side of the flaw to focus on, coz I don’t think he can physically handle giving max effort on both ends.

[@kennn30]

But I feel like the issue with him not being their main offensive option is that they rely on a 39 year old LeBron, who really should be resting to be ready come playoff time. That was the thing at the start of the season, put LeBron on a minutes restriction and guys like Reaves and D'lo step up behind Davis.

[@genshishio9316]

@@kennn30 I get that, but I also find it silly to make someone do things they aren’t physically able to do. He’s their defensive anchor, playing out of position as a C when he’s a PF. If you want better offensive games from him then get a proper C and stop making him cover all the wholes defensively. That’s what they did in 2020, and he looked great on both sides coz he wasn’t forced to match up with people bigger and stronger than him unless he was at an advantage.

[@kennn30]

@@genshishio9316 Ya I wasn't saying it's his fault, but it's just a problem. I'm not sure why the Lakers haven't gotten any veteran centers after last long, they literally got SWEPT against the Nuggets because Jokic just demolished AD. Consequently when they faced them in 2020 like you said they beat them because they had Dwight at the 5 and AD as help (Jokic isn't the same player he was 4 years ago but still).

[@madnezz1961]

I have noticed for years that AD is so weirdly athletic that he rarely lands on both feet. Watch his jumper, he kicks his right leg forward with his upper body leaning back. He often falls after shooting. Even in the paint he is off balance and lands on one foot. I said he should hang on the rim after dunks and his has done that more. But he contorts his body in ways most can't and I think that is how he gets off balance. His is also slightly knock kneed. If you saw the two three point attempts at the half of the NO game look at the second shot and watch ADs legs and how he is dramatically off balance and not squared up to the basket at all

[@juliog7519]

Thats a lot of negative thoughts shows what type of person you are

[@cameroncollins2645]

Our defense is really good right now. The best player on a team being guarded by Cam Reddish with the starters then he gets subbed out and Vando is. now guarding em no ones safe. Even if they get beat now you have to go through AD at the rim

[@tmub23]

Give me healthy AD and Lebron in the postseason and im all smiles for the whole summer 💯💯

[@qbcomicaddict2590]

If Davis stays healthy the only person that can stop Lebron this year is jokic

[@sixdesert994]

He should always remember this feelings and this performance. He should not forget he is beast. I just found your channel bro, Im surprised you dont have a hundred k or million followers. Keep it up bro it will happen for sure.

[@HoopVenue]

I appreciate that!

[@Tedholla79]

this is one of the greatest channels on KZbin. Hands Down.

[@HoopVenue]

That means a lot, thank you so much!

[@dajwanthornton]

Great breakdown man!! Enjoyable to watch

[@_akiti_531]

I realised that you don’t even have 100k subscribers ???? like how? you’re content is so good i don’t understand that you don’t have at least 500k. I hope it’ll happen asap

[@HoopVenue]

That means a lot, thank you!!

[@andiemali4841]

Great content no one's doing game breakdowns like you fr

[@HoopVenue]

Appreciate that!

[@Kupalking]

Great detailed video on AD monster game

[@HoopVenue]

Thanks!

[@timaltstadt824]

AD was a point guard before growing a lot, so his reading of the game is not as bad as classic center's.

[@Icytf]

amzing video love you kgsgoat come back soon

[@HoopVenue]

Thanks brother, might have to make a return

[@roelbatistis2444]

Great content. Good job sir.

[@HoopVenue]

Thank you!

[@Evo1122]

When AD got that look, hes a Monster!

[@MegaRealPro]

Shout out to hoop venue for doing the most insane analysis of the nba cup final. 🐐

[@HoopVenue]

Glad you liked it!

[@YeeSoest]

I love to remind people JUST HOW MUCH they doubted Lebron for picking AD out of all people to spend his fourth and probably final prime with😅 That dude is game changing and gives you an immediate title hope, no matter how many games he missed in the regseas!

[@freeddawg2882]

He should’ve won the mvp

[@orlandojam8]

this is the dominant AD that we knew! i hope he can sustain this throughout the whole season 🎉

[@judahmourneth3211]

So he can carry lebron

[@orlandojam8]

@@judahmourneth3211 yep, and all of lakers, basketball is team game afterall, great teams do that, they need each other to win 🎉

[@judahmourneth3211]

@@orlandojam8 that’s fine, but when are we going to have that conversation that AD is the best player on the team and has been since he got to the lakers. Everything is lebron lebron Lebron and it’s actually AD’s is the reason for the lakers success

[@orlandojam8]

@@judahmourneth3211 yep, i have always admired AD’s game even before when he is still in Pelican’s

[@Motorata661]

Even Lebron wants AD to be the leader of the team, he said it so himself before the season started and the coach said that the plan was for Lebron to play 30 minutes or less this year.@@judahmourneth3211

[@brunoguedes9715]

AD can't fight properly agains huge centers with a lot of skills. He can put a good fight, but he will have to put a lot of effort to contain a little bit of guys like Embiid and Jokic. But there is no big in the league that can defend like him. He is a genius convering the rim and at the same time defending the perimeter. He covers every single point, it is incredible how he moves and see the defensive end. He can be off on offensive sometimes and the issue is that he is not the kind of guy that forces. If he does not see his first shot falling, he usually stops to demand the ball. He does not insist.

[@gameplayer1980]

Need the "I'm HIM" AD in every game.

[@HoopVenue]

Unfortunately he wouldn't be able to walk after a couple weeks

[@brockjensen2473]

A locked in healthy AD is the best player in the league, he’d even slightly above Jokic because AD is without a doubt the best defensive player in the league rn and he’s scary on offense when he attacks the rim. But we all know AD sadly can’t stay healthy and he is rather inconsistent offensively.

[@calebmartin1917]

Great vid HV wanted to ask who’s a better defender in 2024 Rudy or bam and why? (Great case in switch-ability Vs paint protection)

[@jahbrilplaysgamesandstuff326]

Easily Rudy dudes a walking top 5 defense

[@HoopVenue]

I'd say Rudy, looks like his Utah self right now and there aren't many in NBA history better.

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Anthony Davis need aggressive every game 💪🔥💪

[@jokiclover]

Great vid, wanted to ask Who’s a better offensive player in 2024 Embiid or Giannis? And why?

[@HoopVenue]

Pretty comfortably looks like Embiid rn, with the improved system and decision making he seems to be unstoppable.

[@thelastquincy1457]

​@@HoopVenue?? I hope you know Everything you said about Embiid relates to Giannis just as much. 😂

[@HoopVenue]

@@thelastquincy1457 the improved system and decision making, on top of the advantages he already has in regards to scoring versatility, screening, outside shooting, etc is what I mean.

[@thelastquincy1457]

@@HoopVenue scoring versatility and outside shooting are the same thing though. Because that is the one thing embiid can do that giannis can't. Also what do u mean by screener advantage the bucks litteraly won a title with there main offensive play being giannis screening for Middleton which litterally always gets Middleton or giannis open.

[@HoopVenue]

Scoring versatility and outside shooting aren't the same thing though. Embiid has a significantly more refined handle and better footwork, which gives him more versatility inside the arc, the shooting just happens to be a part of that. He's also a way better FT shooter, which boosts his scoring. I never said Giannis couldn't screen/roll, he just is not as good at Joel at screening or setting up DHOs.@@thelastquincy1457

[@JOHNNYPMUSIC]

Quick question who would u say peaked higher 2020 AD or 2022 Giannis and what’s the separator for u?

[@HoopEnthusiasts]

Tough one but I give the edge to Giannis because he could guarantee you a top 4 seed, Ad couldn’t dominate the league as Giannis did in that span

[@HoopVenue]

Giannis' playmaking/creation edge is just too strong, taking him comfortably while being very high on AD.

[@isaactesfaye9760]

Give me Ad on a higher level team. Him as a pnr lob threat and switchy defender is ridiculous. On a team without a star give me Gianni’s as he can raise my floor more. I prefer ad because I like ceiling pushers more

[@wanpumnoon]

GreHGHk Freak. Plus, he's allowed to travel to Greece every game and get that Miami LeHGH treatment.

[@chasethreshing]

Lowkey AD really likes playing with AR. Mainly due to mental/vibes.

[@zaescorin]

he does

[@Colinkrauss1]

There’s not a lot of nba player highlights that are more enjoyable than ADs defense. Insane IQ, mobility, versatility, size, length, athleticism. This is why I’ve always loved the AD-LeBron combo so much, even though lots of people hate on the shooting skill of this duo. On offense, LeBron is one of the all-time best floor-raisers AND ceiling-raisers for an entire team, and he maintains or increases that value through the playoffs. On defense, AD is one of the all-time best floor-raisers AND ceiling-raisers for an entire team, and he maintains or increases that value through the playoffs.

[@drichardbailey]

AD will never get the credit he deserves for how smart of a player he is. The way he sees defensive actions happening and is always there to be in the way is incredible. Like a hall of fame middle linebacker

[@HoopVenue]

Facts. Him, Draymond, Gobert, and Giannis all have this gift which is why they define this era of defense.

[@stonecolescoe9699]

@@HoopVenuenot Giannis has had substantial amount of defensive help

[@harolddasynth795]

Pelicans AD is dangerous

[@bigbangbasketball]

I swear AD will have one monster game a month just to keep the critics away 😂

[@johnrouguine3090]

I still have confidence in the Pacers offense come playoff time.

[@HoopVenue]

For sure

[@Matthew-xl5bc]

They should maybe considering trading for Pascal or Lauri. They could definitely use a second quality shot creator so teams can’t just double Hali all game.

[@shorewall]

I love the Pacers, but they need some experience. The tournament was great, and they need to make some noise in the playoffs. They are young, but have great potential.

[@juliog7519]

Pacers are gunna be in a lot of trouble here on out Lakers figured em out and now the whole league is gunna double up on Haliberton.

[@MonsignorTheGreat]

maybe... but the Whole league is gonna copy the blueprint considering Indiana relies too much on Tyrese.

[@TheKingteezy23]

Crazy how when this man get injured laker fans be hollering about how soft he is and to trade him but when he dominate like this y’all be all over him..stop doing that man like that

[@ldbent1956]

Wow, gets up and down the floor much faster than Myles Turner too.

[@treydaypnw]

Anthony Davis is a beast on the offensive side and a stalwart on the defensive side of the ball, excellent player.

[@jonathanpatch5281]

That one play where he closed out hard to the corner three and you said, "...you'd think he'd be out of the play..." Yes, I did think he was out of the play. When he subsequently made the block at the rim...even though I'm used to AD playing good to excellent defense, that play left me slack-jawed.

[@Bigjosh98]

A locked in AD is a top 10 player top 3 big man and offensive demigod and a defensive anchor and more on defense

[@legendlee1576]

Babe I know its 5:15 am but I had a nightmare HoopVenue dropped and I missed it. Woke up and it was true 😢

[@Habib-I]

Locked in AD is scary and I do believe lakers can win the chip but mehnnn that depends on God cause they can only do that if injury free

[@ParamoreFAV3]

None of these big men can touch AD simply because of his defensive presence and abilities. The offense is second to none and he can get 30 in his sleep; but people don’t argue that he could be the best big man simply because the defense and rim protection is so damn elite.

[@Hnlkm]

It's not new for him.

[@patoquintana884]

Fire vid

[@HoopVenue]

Thanks bro!

[@michaelmayers3622]

Seems like I'm wrong but ad focusing on mostly defense been easier on his body

[@mamia2593]

Always loved AD!❤

[@HoopVenue]

Same here, since the Kentucky days!

[@MasonJacob-gk3cz]

I always wanted to ask, who do u think was better at their peak Kawhi or AD?

[@HoopVenue]

I would take Kawhi very marginally, super good discussion though

[@VincentVincent_89]

Peak yeah kawhi but currently it’s AD and it’s not even remotely close

[@AdamxAudra]

Who’s the best player on the lakers LeBron or AD?

[@BlueGrovyle]

Difficult question because LeBron is the ceiling raiser and AD is the floor raiser. LeBron's presence changes what teams they _can_ beat, AD's changes what teams they _will_ beat.

[@HoopVenue]

Changes on any given night, but this season it looks like LeBron so far

[@GetdonkedOn]

Lebron is the whole offense right now while AD is the whole defense. Tbh there is no wrong or right answers both guys are doing their jobs.

[@tmub23]

Both turn it on whenever they want to but Bron gets the edge simply for being more consistent

[@footyroll8678]

at his best AD is better. but dudes too inconsistent on offence. i think AD might be the best in the league when he is at his best@@tmub23

[@kingjohn6656]

The man had one good game, and everyone is going crazy over that. lol 😂 so funny

[@HoopVenue]

Well... reducing 41-20-5-4 on 67% shooting to just a "good game" is where the opinions differ.

[@iamalfiie7700]

so, in football terms, this in season championship is like the FA Cup for the premier league or the copa del rey for la liga?

[@HoopVenue]

I don't watch football, but that's what it seems to be.

[@bb00834]

"Marshmallow" Turner is the real reason why AD dominated the game. Try Sabonis, Embiid or Jokic. AD should be consistent if they want that June's trophy.

[@raydripper101]

Ppl in the comments keep bringing up injury…like damn yea he’s been hurt but he’s good now and leave it at that. S/o AD tho DPOY loading 🔥🔥🔥

[@wanderinglaw1389]

If only milwaukee abused pick and roll this way with dame and giannis, now that would be SCARY.

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

Why is it that if AD has a great performance it's because he's not 'locked in' the rest of the time. But if Giannis, Dame, Booker, Jokic, Embiid put up a big game it's just that, a big game.

[@kennn30]

Because it's true, if you've watched AD for the past seasons you can see he has been inconsistent

[@ImBarryScottCSS]

@@kennn30 No shit. So is Embiid, so is Dame, these players have almost exactly the same deviation as AD but nobody ever says a word about how inconsistent they are.

[@spacecowboy3850]

Didn't realize slowing down the clips makes the traveling so obvious 😅

[@enamweaknopahknop9661]

I want to see AD wearing number 23 again like the Pelican day. I felt like when he wear that number, he is a different monster, the one that the league feared. Edit: tbh, AD have an out of world performance that day, but I just think that the entire Lakers was locked in on stopping Pacers.

[@djdarklyceum]

If AD was built like Giannis, he would be the best big man and top 5 in the league.

[@eksit101]

He was brought in to be franchise, if he doesn't play up to contract, he'll never be loved here, but I smell #18.

[@andrewabraham5109]

Does this version of Anthony Davis look reminiscent of Bubble AD and if that is the case, then it's scary for the Western Conference.

[@HoopVenue]

I don't think he's as fluid of an athlete as he was back then, but when he's engaged like this he's replicating similar value for sure.

[@sethmadson6592]

too much hype on AD's defensive play, but he is just a step down from gobert defensivley, and a legit option on ofence, 40/20 isn't a fluke for him

[@sethmadson6592]

Edit: He is a scorer first that can back it up with all-nba D, but like a lebron or ant it feels like he chooses his moments instead of always playing to his strtrengths as a big

[@juwanrigby1924]

Why he’s terrifying to every big except jokic

[@jimmyquick]

AD is always injured and sometimes I think he plays soft even when he's healthy because he's afraid of getting hurt again. Every now and then he'll have a monster game and play like a Top 5 player in the league but his overall production is always just so inconsistent...

[@jamesmcluvlee]

Top 75

[@namchau7712]

If AD iss healthy then The Lakers has 2 unicorns in their roster 😊😊

[@julesjay1634]

what does it mean to be him ?

[@HoopVenue]

"The one"

[@freakincrod]

All that just to get bullied by Jojer, Embiid, and Sabonis

[@84yung]

Thing about it is that anybody who watches basketball knows this. We been saying AD needs to be locked in for the Lakers to make it deep into the playoffs. Too bad he's consistently inconsistent. If he can somehow play keep this up, now i don't mean a 40pt game but he needs to put up at least the same effort, energy and willingness on both ends.

[@HoopVenue]

The injury concerns make that tough though, he even got hurt in this one.

[@FalconPunch8319]

I think Anthony Davis suffers from bipolarity as a player when he is playing at the level that he supposed to play is it the EYEBROW that takes control and when hes underperforming and Inconsistent it is him in his laziness

[@wgs5379]

If the pacers won, everyone would be screaming Halliburton MVP or Halliburton best PG in the league. While AD absolutely raped the pacers with 40 and 20 but I don’t see anyone gassing him up.

[@arnavdixit1397]

Let's not forget Indiana have no good big men. They lack size, so AD ate. That won't be the case in the playoffs

[@elmehdinafia1237]

Why couldn't he do this against Jokic last year tho?????

[@yrgminion5773]

1 he isn’t the biggest so he sometimes struggles with big heavy centers and 2 jokic doesn’t just stay in the paint a lot of the times he’s running dribble handoffs or something and that takes ad far from the rim and he’s the lakers only rim protector that’s why u saw them put Rui on jokic so ad could stay near the rim

[@scottpeterson800]

Bru did u just kill me in fortnite. Oatmeal Doom

[@HoopVenue]

Probably! Lmao

[@ddhaiti213]

Then he comes back from this game and gives you 10 and 12, looking out of it like some bench player.

[@littleprince8164]

Pacers had no real Big.. not saying its their fault but come playoff time when and if he faces Jokic or even Sabonis, he'd struggle big time as he always does.

[@scottarhart6094]

So he’s not typically “Locked In”? WTF

[@HoopVenue]

He cannot give 41 minutes of effort like this every night, that's why he got hurt.

[@scottarhart6094]

@@HoopVenuesince he can typically only play about 1/2 to 2/3 of a season these days I found it strange that they played him as many minutes as they did just to win a meaningless trophy.

[@LuDux]

... mambrow face?

[@4-SeasonNature]

Why wasn't AD the MVP?

[@HoopVenue]

LeBron just had a more complete tournament, could've gone to either though.

[@mafimok]

And the 3rd "best" player is the MVP. LeBron commited an iggy there. LMAO

[@HoopVenue]

It's tournament MVP, not just the final game. LeBron was MVP for the duration.

[@Yoyoy08]

Any locked in team or superstars will be deadly..until they face top contenders and beat them then talk man not these MEH weak teams its a joke man

[@StrayingwithHawk]

Next game he back to dumpster 😢

[@yrgminion5773]

He played great lol Darvin just doesn’t seem to be able to make adjustments mid game

[@robertkrebs4192]

Yes. He’s terrifying. Until he gets hurt. He always gets hurt

[@fauxbro1983]

bruh. he played the pelicans

[@sebastianabsolution655]

why a 'locced in' street clothes tuberculosis is never goin 2 happen ever again. there, I fixed it 4 you scrubby.👊🏿👊🏿

[@damaro5121]

This performance reminded me of who he was.

[@mr.michael3668]

AD should've been MVP

[@MistahJay7]

It's for all the games. Stats clearly favor Bron