Lakers' Anthony Davis Feels Like He Should've Won 'A Couple of Defensive Awards'

There's no question that when he's healthy and on the floor, Anthony Davis is one of the most dominant defenders in the NBA.

The Los Angeles Lakers' superstar has held that title since first entering the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2012 and has only continued to impress on both ends of the floor, making the NBA All-Defensive team four times in his 12 years as a professional.

However, he's never won an individual defensive award, which he obviously doesn't agree with it.

"If I do what I'm supposed to do, of course, I feel like I got cheated out a couple defensive awards," Davis told reporters Friday. "If I do what I'm supposed to do, play how I'm supposed to play, those stuff will come. At the end of the day the goal is to win championships."

Davis has led the NBA in blocks three times in his career and has averaged over two blocks per game on nine different occasions. He's also consistently shown the ability to lock down multiple positions, not just big men.

Despite all that, Davis has kept losing out on Defensive Player of the Year, with several other big men winning the award over the past few years, including Rudy Gobert (three times), Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Marcus Smart also won it in 2022, becoming the first guard since Gary Payton in 1996 to do so.

The main reason for that has been Davis' health.

The eight-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer hasn't really been able to stay on the floor since he arrived in Los Angeles, playing over 56 games just once during his tenure with the organization.

In that one season—the 2019-20 campaign—Davis played 61 games and helped lead the Lakers to an NBA title.

So, if he's able to shine and stay healthy on a revamped Lakers' roster, it'd be hard to envision a Defensive Player of the Year conversation that doesn't have Davis firmly in the mix.