2012 NBA Draft Grade: Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis literally looked like a man playing basketball at the playground this past collegiate season, so it was obvious that the star freshman was going to be “One and Done” after one season at Kentucky. He was the key part of the Kentucky Wildcats’ 2011 National Championship run , as the “AD” makes blocking the ball look like a lost art form. He is absolutely relentless on the glass, and will be a nightmare for opposing player to post-up against in the paint.
Davis will be the obvious number one selection in this year’s draft and will continue to be the most talked about player college basketball player for the next three months. He has handled all the attention very well, so far and it has clearly helped him mature as a man. With the draft only a couple months away it is important to take a closer look at the potential player’s skills more closely. Below is my full draft report of Anthony Davis:
2011-12 College Average: 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 4.7 blocks, 1.4 steals
Scoring: B– Davis was able to score easily against the smaller competition in college, but he will find it much more difficult to score against the Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard’s of the world. Davis is not exactly a strong jump-shooting forward either, so he will score the majority of his points by simply dropping the ball into the hoop.
Rebounding: A- Davis dominated the collegiate field in his freshman season with a ridiculous 10.4 rebounds and 4.7 blocks in only 32 minutes per game. His size, speed, and athleticism allows him to cover almost the entire paint and will help him easily average 7-8 boards per game his freshman season.
Size: A- Davis has one of the most pro-ready bodies to enter the NBA since LeBron James came out of St. Mary High School in 2003. He has an enormous wingspan, which allows him to block anything within ten feet of the hoop. The only thing keeping him from getting an A+ rating is that his six-foot-ten frame may be a little undersized at only 220 pounds, but the 19-year old still has some growing to do. Davis will easily be able to put on another 15-20 pounds over the course of his career and his potential to top out at seven feet is making scouts all over the NBA drool.
Athleticism: A- The forward is an athletic marvel that was apparently born to play basketball. Davis makes blocking the ball look effortless out on the court and the kid’s arm span seems to be ten feet long. Davis is a perfect example of how each generation is becoming more athletic then the generation before them, and he is the future of the position. He can get up with anyone to block a shot or grab a rebound, a skill that will transition very smoothly.
Projection: First overall
NBA Comparison: New York’s Amare Stoudemire
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