In 2015, Stephen Curry made a bold prediction about the prospects of third-year student Anthony Davis when he participated in "The Dan Patrick Show": "You can see it from his shooting movements. He obviously played guard when he was a child. His You can't teach shooting mechanics

【Star】Thick Eyebrows vs. Pelicans Highlights He scored 31 points and 14 rebounds in the game and was very comfortable inside. In 2015, Stephen Curry made a bold prediction about the prospects of third-year student Anthony Davis when he participated in "The Dan Patrick Show":

"Look at him. It can be seen in his shooting movements. He obviously played as a guard when he was a child. You can't teach his shooting movements. I predict that his three-point shooting percentage may reach 40%." Once he adds the 3-point shot to his arsenal, I don't know what else can stop him. "

It took Davis 9 years to gradually become worthy of Curry and the expectations of all those who were optimistic about him.

In the 2024-25 season, Davis averaged 2.3 attempts per game and hit one three-pointer. Davis hit a career-high 42.9% from the field. He has made at least 2 three-pointers in 5 consecutive games, a new career record. It was 3 consecutive games before.

As Curry said, when Davis incorporated three-pointers into his arsenal, he became unstoppable and truly became a routine. Game mvp candidate. So far this season, the only thing that can stop Davis is injury.

Davis played guard in high school. It’s not like he doesn’t have shooting ability. But since growing taller, Davis has somewhat neglected his shooting ability. After Curry started the three-point wave, everyone expected Davis to pick up shooting and develop more into the direction of space inside. Weiss never developed a reliable three-pointer in Pelicans . His best season was only a 34% three-point shooting rate, and his production was very low.

In the 2019-20 season playoffs, Davis, who switched to Lakers , averaged 1.1 three-pointers per game with a 38.3% shooting rate, helping the Lakers win the championship. He once hit a three-pointer in the playoffs against Nuggets . . Davis left a lasting impression on people that season. There is unlimited room for imagination, and people's expectations for him are the same as Curry's expectations for him. Everyone wants to see how terrifying Davis is with three-pointers.

But they didn't expect that Davis would be at his peak three-pointer. So short. From the 2020-21 season to the 2023-24 season, Davis is very He often resists three-point shots. No matter how much Vogel and Ham insist on shooting more three-pointers, even if Ham asks Davis to shoot six three-pointers in a game, it's no wonder that Davis never listens. The three-point shot is not high, and he seems to have lost confidence.

html. 1 In the past five seasons, Davis has shot 27.9% from three-point range. Among players who have taken at least 500 three-pointers, he is only ahead of Killian Hayes, who took at least 300 from the 2019-20 season to this season. Among players who are second to three-pointers, Davis ranks last in catch-and-shoot three-point shooting percentage at 28.7%, and his wide-open three-point shooting percentage at 29.6% is also at the bottom.

Therefore, when Redick asked Davis to shoot more three-pointers after taking office, everyone was unsure. No one knew what kind of answer Davis would give.

Davis's three-point shooting problem has never been an issue. It lies in his shooting movements, and it does not lie in his lack of practice. To a large extent, it just lies in his willingness, or confidence. When Davis takes action willingly and with confidence, the results are often good. In the past few seasons, Davis has always tended to prioritize attacking the basket. He was hesitant and unconfident beyond the three-point line.

"Many players will stay in the penalty area when defending and try to help defend, especially the inside players. Sometimes I become a victim. It is instinct for inside players to stay in the penalty area." Davis said. Therefore, when the opponent is heavily defensive on the inside, it is very critical whether Davis can score from the outside. Davis finally figured out the issue of

.

In the first 7 games of the season, Davis averaged 32.6 points per game, but most of these points came from the penalty area and the free throw line. He made only 2 of 12 three-pointers. But since returning from injury, Davis has also realized that in order to reduce the burden on himself, it is necessary to shoot more three-pointers, and at the same time, it can also open up space for his teammates.

In the past five games, Davis averaged 3.2 three-pointers per game and hit 62.5%. At the critical moment of the Spurs , Davis hit two three-pointers. So far this season, Davis's catch-and-shoot three-point shooting percentage has exceeded 45%, which is an extremely outstanding level.

Davis has entered a virtuous cycle. He is becoming more and more confident in his three-pointers. When his confidence increases, he will dare to take more shots.

Redick praised: "He is full of confidence now, and what is exciting is his willingness to take action."

"Just give it a try," Davis said. "Without any hesitation. Don't think about the outcome, just take action with confidence."

So in recent times, even though Davis has been plagued by injuries and his average playing time has dropped to 33 minutes per game, he has taken 3 fewer free throws than before. , but he still averaged 29 points per game. When Davis can stably hit three-pointers, the Lakers' space opens up, and LeBron James, Knecht and others also get more opportunities to attack inside.

Lakers players and fans felt like it was dawn when they saw Davis stably scoring three-pointers. Reeves said: "He has a very good shooting touch now. I have been begging him for three years to let him take the shot. Thank God." He finally listened. When he shoots threes, it opens up the floor to the basket. Big guys tend to block shots when defenders or others drive through, so when he shoots like that. when they You have to hesitate. If they step up, you get an open three; if they don't, you can create opportunities at the basket."

This season, "ooter" has become a buzzword in the Lakers locker room, with Davis using it as shorthand for "shooter." In the previous preseason game when the Lakers defeated the Suns, Davis hit four three-pointers. At that time, Russell posted "shooooooooooterrrrrrr" on social media to praise Davis for hitting the key three-pointer, and Davis replied: "real life ooter!" This is where his nickname came from. Since then, Lakers players have called Davis "ooter."

Davis's multiple three-point shooting is one of the signs that the Lakers bid farewell to the "barbaric era". This season, the Lakers' three-point shooting percentage has improved to the top 15 in the league, finally bidding farewell to the bottom. When you look at the offensive efficiency charts, you will be surprised.

Today's Lakers have an offensive efficiency of 117.7 points, ranking fifth in the league.

In the Zhan Mei era, this is a height that the Lakers have never reached.

And it all starts with Davis, both inside and outside.