Why Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers have become a tough match for the Memphis Grizzlies

A loose basketball flew off the rim, on its way to the corner and out of bounds. Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis was suddenly scrambling to track the ball down before it reached the courtside crowd.

The ball went off Davis, who fell to the floor, grimacing in pain while holding his left shoulder.

After another 16 seconds of action, Davis checked out of the game with the Lakers leading by 20 points with 5:30 left in the third quarter. That lead was down to nine by the end of the quarter after Memphis had outscored the Lakers 16-5 while Davis was on the sideline.

Davis checked back into the game early in the fourth quarter, and it felt like all the momentum Memphis had built began to fade. Davis finished with 40 points and 16 rebounds as the Lakers defeated the Grizzlies 116-110.

Sunday’s game at Crypto.com Arena was a reminder of some harsh truths the Grizzlies have been working to change but have yet to produce winning results.

LeBron James, who finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, isn’t the Lakers player giving the Grizzlies the most trouble. It is Davis – and has been since the Lakers knocked the Grizzlies out of the 2023 NBA playoffs.

Much of what the Grizzlies did Sunday with its lineups, rotations and personnel revolved around Davis. The troubling truth is that no matter what button Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins pushed, no one slowed Davis down.

Here’s why Davis and the Lakers have become a confusing opponent for the Grizzlies.

Anthony Davis plays both ends

The Grizzlies are 1-2 against the Lakers this season — their win on Nov. 6 came when Davis did not play. He struggled for most of the Lakers’ first win against Memphis on Nov. 13 before coming alive in the fourth quarter.

His ability to be a dominant presence on both ends of the floor creates problems. Offensively, he is a tough guard when his mid-range jumper drops, in addition to his ability to score in the paint. On Sunday, Davis shot 15-for-22.

Although Memphis still finished with 56 paint points, the presence of Davis caused hesitation. Yes Morant and Desmond Bane combined to shoot 7-for-20 on shots inside the 3-point line. Part of that was due to Davis and his ability to make guards shoot at tough angles and alter their shots.

Crafty bad creation

One of the most frustrating things about playing the Lakers is their ability to make mistakes. Whether you think the calls are warranted or not, the Lakers are getting them. They have been in the top five in free throw attempts per game in each of the past three seasons, and Davis is a big part of that.

Davis is second in the NBA in free throw attempts. Against Memphis, he attempted 12 and ultimately played a role in Jackson walking with more than four minutes left in the game. In two games against Memphis this season, Davis has attempted 20 free throws.

How to solve the problem

The biggest problem solver is development. He is a beginner who learns on the fly.

For the second time against the Lakers this season, Zach Edey has been a difference maker. He was plus-12 in 24 minutes Sunday. In the first meeting in Los Angeles, Edey was also plus-12.

What makes him so effective is not only the physicality the 7-foot-4 center brings, but he changes matchup dynamics more than any other big on the Grizzlies roster. With Memphis on offense, Davis, who is 6-10 and 253 pounds, is forced to battle with Edey and try to keep the 290-pounder off the glass. That frees up Jackson for favorable matchups against James or Rui Hachimura.

The same applies to the defense. Having Edey guard Davis allows Jackson to roam more and avoid foul trouble.

It’s an imperfect answer, considering the Lakers have attacked Edey down the stretch defensively in both of the aforementioned games, but experience will even out those matchups.

Damichael Cole is the one Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.

This article originally appeared on the Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why the Memphis Grizzlies have struggled against Anthony Davis, the Lakers