Despite adding Jusuf Nurkic, the Phoenix Suns still have a potential weakness on the interior, despite their strength in fielding a deadly scoring trifecta in Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal. And Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers took full advantage of that vulnerability on Thursday night during a preseason game. Davis’ incredible defensive performance in the first quarter made the Suns fearful of a higher power.

Davis demonstrated that he is still among the most oppressive defensive players in NBA history as well as in the league now. The Lakers star blocked four shots in the opening quarter of the Suns game. StatMuse reports that the Suns only scored five baskets with AD on the court.

Anthony Davis simply put on a masterful defensive display, demonstrating that even if it is still preseason, he never lets up on that end of the court. However, there are a few key points to make in order to clarify the game’s setting. The most crucial thing to remember is that the Suns struggled to establish a rhythm throughout the first quarter simply because Devin Booker and Bradley Beal were not playing.

Even so, Davis’ defensive display provides the Lakers with a blueprint for how to match up well with the Suns; with his mobility on the perimeter, he could compete with the Suns’ pull-up artists all over the court, forcing them into difficult shots and acting as a deterrent to anyone trying to attack the rim.