After a stellar basketball career, JJ Redick recently joined the Los Angeles Lakers as the team’s head coach. However, he stirred controversy even before the start of his coaching stint by not voting for Anthony Davis as the All-Defensive Player of the Year. This rumor mill prompted the Redick to address the situation and shut down all the speculation.

“Well, there’s a big difference in being a top 10 defender and making an All-Defense team. There’s a distinction between the two. Anthony Davis is one of the two or three best defensive players in the NBA,” Redick said during a SiriusXM NBA Radio interview.

Redick then explained his mindset before taking this controversial decision.

“I did this the last two years, where I explained all of my votes. And you certainly have to factor in the stats, the advanced stats, and then, of course, the team performance on defense. And in both years, I weighed heavily on how the team performed defensively,” he added.

Davis displayed remarkable defensive prowess during the 2023–24 season, achieving some of the best stats of his career. Over the course of 76 regular-season games, he averaged 24.7 points per game and shot 55.6 percent from the field, according to ESPN stats.

New York Knicks Reportedly Target Lakers’ Anthony Davis as Top Choice

According to Craig Carton of FS1, the New York Knicks have identified Lakers superstar Anthony Davis as their top priority on their “dream list.”

“I know who the Knicks have had conversations about. I’m going to tell you. There is a player that I don’t think they can get, but I know who is No. 1 on the Knicks’ dream list. I know this. It’s a fact. It’s 100 percent. Just trust me on it. I’ve said it on this show before. The New York Knicks, if they could make it happen and figure it out, would like to add Anthony Davis to the roster. That’s the guy that they want more than any other player in the league,” Carton said.

Davis earned him recognition as a first-team All-Defense member and a spot in the NBA All-Star lineup last season. His stellar performance secured his third NBA All-Defensive First Team selection in 2024.