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“No! No, No,” Despite Being “A Top Seven Player on the Planet,” Stephen A. Smith Rejects the Push for Anthony Davis’ Increased 3-Point Attempts

Published 10/12/2023, 9:26 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Stephen A. Smith launched into a tirade on ESPN’s First Take. Smith is a fan of Los Angeles Lakers’ power forward Anthony Davis. He considers Davis to be one of the top seven players in the NBA on his day. The only issue is his days do not come along all that often. On top of that, Lakers’ coach Darvin Ham added to his on-court responsibilities.

Ham wants Anthony Davis to shoot six 3-pointers every single game going forward. He wants to see the 30-year-old attempt at least three per half. Darvin Ham believes Davis is more than capable of fulfilling that ask. That, he reasoned, is why he got saddled with that additional responsibility. To put it mildly, were one to ask Stephen A. Smith, one would find that decision termed a poor one.

He is one of the worst at threes, says Stephen A. Smith

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On First Take, when asked if he agreed with Darvin Ham’s assessment, Stephen A. Smith responded with a resounding “no.” Smith confessed tp being a fan of Ham’s work. He admitted Ham and Rob Pelinka did a good job at turning around the Lakers’ fortunes. Simultaneously, Stephen A. Smith called Ham’s new stratagem a recipe for disaster.

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In Smith’s words, “Anthony Davis’ career 3-point percentage of 30 percent is the third worst among active players with a minimum of 1,000 attempts. Only the Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo and DeMar DeRozan who barely, if ever, attempt threes are worse. And you encouraging this man to shoot six a game? Come on, coach. Come on. No! No, no.” He expressed his consternation at Ham’s decision as Davis also had the 12th-worst 3-point percentage in NBA history.

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Anthony Davis is a top-seven-player-on-the-planet when hale and hearty

Stephen A. Smith rates Anthony Davis very highly. As he put it, “When healthy and brings his A-game, Anthony Davis is a top-seven-player-on-the-planet-Earth. The brother is that big-time, he’s that sensational, because he’s got post moves. He can score on the inside. He doesn’t need to shoot threes!” According to Smith, Davis is among the top seven players in the NBA when fully fit and firing.

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He added forcing Davis to shoot more 3-pointers would be detrimental to the team’s performance. Smith said, “As far as I’m concerned, encouraging him to shoot threes is encouraging him to stay away from being the big boy and playing a big man’s game, which is going to be hazardous to the success of the Los Angeles Lakers.” Stephen A. Smith vehemently disagreed with Darvin Ham on that score.

Watch This Story – Watch: LeBron James Sets Up Lakers’ 7ft Recruit With an Audacious Lob as Anthony Davis Witnesses From the Bench

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Written by:

Anirudh Haridas

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Anirudh Haridas is a US Sports writer at EssentiallySports. A staunch sports fan, Anirudh brings his experience as a Soccer content writer. A diehard fan of ice hockey, Anirudh delved into the US sports arena, driven by the phenomenal pace of the sport.
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Edited by:

Purva Jain