EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Anthony Davis was pretty hard on himself after the Lakers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.

“I think I suck right now,” he said. “I’m not making shots. I’m not making free throws.”

I’ll respectfully disagree.

Davis had 18 points and nine rebounds against the Bucks, not to mention six assists in the Lakers’ impressive 113-106 victory. Six assists from a big man is always a strong stat in an NBA game, but Davis didn’t want to discuss superlatives that night. He wanted to critique himself, as great players often do.

If there’s an area he isn’t checking all the boxes he wants, it’s three-point shooting. Lakers Coach Frank Vogel told Davis to shoot five three-pointers per game, and that hasn’t happened lately. In fact, Davis has made only one three-point shot while taking a mere seven over the last six games.

He has become a reluctant shooter after showing solid proficiency behind the arc. He’s already hit four three-pointers in a game twice this season, most recently on January 5. Against Milwaukee, he missed his only three-point attempt.

Quick side note: Davis made his name in the NBA by being a great rebounder, shot-blocker, and scorer in the post. His relatively newfound three-point touch is merely an added bonus to his game.

Davis was also upset with his free-throw shooting Thursday, and there’s some slight regression there. He’s only 72.5% from the line this season after going 84.6% last season.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a better basketball player every game,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

Meanwhile, Davis did appreciate his own aggressiveness against Milwaukee in other areas, specifically posing as a threat in the post. From down low, he often draws double-teams and is able to find open shooters around the perimeter. Four of his six assists against Milwaukee led to successful three-point shots.

I appreciate Davis saying his game needs to improve. Great players constantly search for ways to get better. I personally don’t see a big overall drop-off in his game — although his three-point shooting has obviously receded in recent weeks.

Back to work in the Windy City. 💪

Here's a closer look at tonight's 6 PM matchup. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/nBCJHlOnj8

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 23, 2021