“It’s not like mano a mano…” Draymond Green downplays Domantas Sabonis’ 10-0 record against Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis has come under fire for his head-to-head record against Domantas Sabonis.

“It’s not like mano a mano…” Draymond Green downplays Domantas Sabonis’ 10-0 record against Anthony Davis

Draymond Green thinks Anthony Davis' struggles against Domantas Sabonis are team performance related rather than head-to-head battle

Elite players are often compared with each other, at least that is the norm when they are the most entertaining matchups in a season. One such comparison that has been talked about recently was between Anthony Davis and Domantas Sabonis.

The head-to-head record, which is in favor of Sabonis, has led to everyone calling out the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. Now, his friend and fellow competitor, Draymond Green, has come out in Davis’ defense.

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While speaking on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, the former Defensive Player Of The Year gave his opinion on the head-to-head record.

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I see everybody making such a huge deal out of AD being 0-10 facing Sabonis. I actually view that as one of those coincidence type things. Do we really believe that Sabonis is better than AD, or could it be a tough matchup. It ain't that. It's not like mano a mano, like this record is making it out to be.
Green on the Anthony Davis vs. Domantas Sabonis debate

Draymond Green mentioned that the Sacramento Kings run their offense through Domantas Sabonis. Unlike with the Lakers, Davis has to make plays off the ball. Green mentioned that team performances matter.

The Golden State Warriors superstar feels the team play of the Kings has made more of an impact on that record than the head-to-head numbers show. The presence of De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk has given the Kings a scoring advantage over the Lakers for quite some time.

Green’s logic does warrant some sense, as Anthony Davis is the most important cog in the Lakers defense. He also has to score enough to help the Los Angeles Lakers win. In comparison, Sabonis can afford to score less than his teammates, as they are capable of taking the offensive load. This is why Sabonis can preserve his energy for rebounds and assists.

Anthony Davis’ struggles against Domantas Sabonis

Domantas Sabonis is not considered to be in the league of the best big men as Anthony Davis. But this record of 0-10 has brought out debates about whether Davis is actually not as good as Sabonis is. To bring it into perspective, Sabonis’ first 4 matchups against Davis were when he was a part of the Russell Westbrook led Oklahoma City Thunder. He was a role player in those games, never scoring over 10 points.

Davis, on the other hand, was part of a poor New Orleans Pelicans team that finished lower than the Thunder. The Chicago-born superstar is also facing the same team performance problems now with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Kings have won consistently against their cross-state rivals simply because of having a more potent offense that thrives on pace and efficiency.

Therefore, is Anthony Davis really struggling against Domantas Sabonis? Draymond Green certainly thinks that is not the case. As in the playoffs, Davis has shown he is one of the best. Sabonis, in comparison, has never won a playoff series.

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