When I say Anthony Davis is one of the finest players in the NBA, it should come as no surprise.

Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers big man was a game wrecker on both ends of the court and was once again a strong player inside, averaging a double double with nearly 26 points and 13 rebounds.

But what is often overlooked in Davis’ game is how effective he is as a defensive weapon.

When healthy, he’s one of the league’s best defenders, whether it’s as a rim protector or as a perimeter defender, which he demonstrated during the Lakers’ run to the Western Conference Finals last year.

Davis’ lateral quickness is exceptional for a big guy, and he excels at reading the game and choosing the best situation to provide defensive aid.

All of this is to indicate that the league should not dismiss Davis’ excellent defense, and betting gurus haven’t forgotten, as Lineups.com has him as one of their early favorites to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year Award.

According to Lineups, Davis is a contender in the DPOY odds, trailing reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and tied with Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, all of whom have +1000 odds.

Davis is expected to live up to those expectations this season, and he should be an impact player for a Lakers team looking to repeat their success from last season.

With the superstar pair of LeBron James and Davis, as well as talented role players in Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, the team has a solid chance of repeating last year’s playoff success – and possibly going even further.