Klay Thompson doesn’t throw compliments around lightly, so when he recently went on Showtime With Michael Cooper and called Anthony Davis the best power forward of his generation, you knew he meant it.
“AD, when he’s healthy, he is the best power forward, maybe of my generation,” Thompson said without hesitation.
And honestly? It makes sense. Davis has been bending games in his direction for more than a decade now. Scoring, rebounding, blocking shots into the third row—he’s got all the tools. At his peak, he’s not just good, he’s a nightmare for whoever stands in front of him.
The trade that shook the league earlier this year only made his story wilder. In February, Davis left Los Angeles for Dallas, while Luka Doncic went the other way. Imagine telling someone three years ago that swap would ever happen.
Still, his Lakers legacy is secure: eight All-Star trips, a championship in 2020, and career numbers of 24.1 points, 10.7 boards, and 2.3 blocks. That’s Hall of Fame material before you even start talking about his defensive impact.
Dallas fans got their first real taste of AD on February 8, when he went for 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists in his Mavericks debut against Houston. Then the adductor injury hit, costing him 18 games. But when he came back? Straight fireworks.
On April 2, he sank a game-winner against Atlanta and finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks. A week later, he casually dropped a stat line the league had never seen before: 23-13-10-7 in under 31 minutes. Nobody had ever put up 20-10-10-5 that efficiently until Davis did it.
Dallas didn’t get the storybook ending—they fell to Memphis in the Play-In—but Davis still went out swinging, hanging 40 points in the elimination game. If you’re wondering why Thompson says what he says, look no further than nights like that.
Yes, injuries have been part of Davis’ story. But when his body holds up, there’s nobody else in this era at the power forward spot who can match his mix of size, skill, and impact. Thompson knows it firsthand—he’s battled him in playoff series—and his verdict is clear: Anthony Davis sits on top of this generation’s power forward mountain.
