As big as the story played out in sports circles over the weekend, the Lakers’ decision to extend Anthony Davis’ contract by three years at a cost of up to $186 million (depending on annual salary cap spikes) was, in fact, a no-brainer. Forget that he didn’t make any All-NBA or All-Defensive Team, wasn’t voted an All-Star, and continued to be piled on by talking heads only too eager to catch eyeballs at the risk of truth. As far as the purple and gold were concerned, he delivered exactly as promised: He was a force on offense and, more importantly, anchored the defense to the point where opponents needed to make significant adjustments to stay competitive.
Perhaps therein lies the problem. Considering the way the game is structured and in view of changes to National Basketball Association rules, offense is given primacy; generation — as opposed to prevention — of points is seen as more entertaining, even from the vantage point of supposedly objective observers. Not that Davis isn’t a superior point producer; his rare combination of length, versatility, and athleticism counts him among the best of the best in the league. That said, his seeming inconsistency in the most prominent traditional counting stat is being held against him — as if other marquee names don’t go through similar ebbs and flows.
The same can be said of Davis’ absences due to a cacophony of injuries. Naysayers underscore his capacity to suit up on only three-fourths of the Lakers’ regular season matches over the years as proof of his malleability and softness. If this were to be a valid gauge, however, then why have such notables as Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Paul George, with more missed games to their name, escaped notice? Whether because he’s in La-La Land or sharing the court with LeBron James, both magnets for increased scrutiny, he’s most certainly being held to a higher standard.
In any case, there can be no doubting Davis’ worth. If anything, it can be reasonably argued that he’s a bargain at the extension price. Juxtaposed with, say, the monster deal that second-fiddle Jaylen Brown received from the Celtics, its soundness becomes even more pronounced. And he clearly gave the Lakers a sweetheart arrangement; he could have angled for an extension next year and received more for a far longer period. Bottom line, he gets what he deserves, and, in turn, will provide what he can — as only he can. It’s a win-win development even the loudest of the so-called armchair experts will be hard-pressed to depreciate.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
