Before the season started, Anthony Davis issued a challenge to his new teammate LeBron James: make the All-Defensive First Team for the first time since the 2012-13 season. While that likely won’t happen, James has given the Los Angeles Lakers his best defensive effort in several years.
Through 62 games, James has posted a defensive rating of 102.8, which is a 4.8 improvement from last season and his best defensive rating since the 2015-16 season, the same season he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a championship.