Anthony Davis is as good as advertised

MANILA, Philippines –  After the New Orleans Hornets (now called the Pelicans) drafted Anthony Davis in the 2012 NBA Draft, pundits and critics quickly labelled him the next Tim Duncan, the next Kevin Garnett, or the next of any number of talented big men that had come before him.

There were lofty expectations out of the 19-year-old kid who at that time just recently led the Kentucky Wildcats to the US NCAA Division I basketball championship. Davis was already a physical beast even before playing in an NBA game, with arms so long that he could effortlessly put up a jumper without being worried about having his shot blocked, and athleticism so superb that many figured he’d at the least be a solid rotation player in the pros.

His rookie season was impressive. The young player participated in only 64 due to a variety of injuries, but when he was on the court he was already producing at a high level. Davis was putting up 13.5 PPG 8.2 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.8 BPG in only 28.8 minutes per game, and showed tremendous touch for a guy standing 6-foot-11 by making 52% of his shots from the field – many of which were jumpers – and going 75% from the free throw line.

In his second season, Davis was limited again by a hand injury but still managed to play in 67 games, outdoing his freshman year by averaging 20.8 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.3 SPG, and 2.8 BPG.

His FG% went up to 52%, and he even shot better at the free throw line by going 79% as a 20-year-old kid. Even if he did not win the Rookie of the Year award – a plum that went to Portland Trail Blazers PG Damian Lillard – Davis proved in his second season, where he was included in the Western Conference All-Star team, that, granted he stays healthy, he is going to be a superstar in the NBA, one who could potentially be known as the best basketball player in the world one day.

He won’t be the next Tim Duncan or the next Kevin Garnett because he will be the first Anthony Davis. And he’s still going to be very, very good, if not even better than the two future Hall of Famers. 

All over the place

Davis kicked off his third year in the NBA in spectacular fashion, compiling 26 points, 17 rebounds (9 offensive), and 9 blocks while sitting out most of the fourth quarter because his New Orleans Pelicans were en route to an easy 101-84 win against the undermanned Orlando Magic. 

The version of Orlando Davis and company saw on Wednesday, October 29, isn’t their best. Magic second year man Victor Oladipo missed the match because of a nose injury while Channing Frye was sidelined as well. The presence of Oladipo would have presented a more formidable challenge for Davis because of the Orlando guard’s athleticism and good ability to finish at the rim, while Frye, a stretch big man, would have drawn out Davis’ defense thanks to his shooting. Even when healthy, Orlando at their best is a fringe eighth seed in the weaker Eastern Conference, which some naysayers could use as credible grounds to discredit Davis’ noteworthy season debut.

But Davis’ statistics speak for themselves, and the most impressive part was that he seemed to do it all so effortlessly. He opened the first quarter by getting a steal and taking it down for a dunk, only needing two dribbles to reach the rim from halfcourt, and it was indicative of what the Magic were going to experience the rest of the game. The entire contest, Davis was blocking shots of different Magic players, and when their attempts weren’t getting swatted away, his long arms managed to alter shot attempts, leading to more misses. As a team, Orlando shot just 38% from the field.

Davis also finished with 3 steals on the night, using his quickness to attack passing lanes similar to his game-opening dunk. In one instance, Davis was pinned down in the post by Magic big man Nikola Vucevic (also impressive on Wednesday with 15 points and 23 rebounds), but the New Orleans center used his gigantic wingspan to deflect the pass going Vucevic’s direction to come away with the steal.

When his teammates (Ryan Anderson, Jrue Holiday, and Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, a combined 21-of-56) missed shots, Davis was always present, threatening to snag an offensive board. He finished with 9, most of which led to easy dunks and easy layups for easy scoring opportunities. He also converted a couple of jumpers and made 6 of his 9 free throw attempts, clearly proving once again that unlike other dominant big men from past and present, playing “Hack-a-Davis” isn’t ideal.

The most impressive part is that, at 21, he’s still far from reaching his prime. He’s already an elite rim protector and he has shown the capability to guard both big men and perimeter players in defensive pick-and-roll situations. His offense is now coming along as well, and it’s exciting for the Pelicans to think how much more their young star will improve over the next few years. For the rest of the NBA, it’s a frightening thought.

LeBron James is popularly regarded as the best player in the NBA today, with Kevin Durant a close second. Some have anointed Davis as being right behind them, which is an argument that holds its own merits. If New Orleans gets a full 82 games out of their former top overall pick this season, they might get a better understanding of how to build around him heading into the future. But their make-up right now – with another solid rim protector in Omer Asik to complement Davis at the center position and a number of shooters in Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, and Jrue Holiday at the wing – is also pretty solid, making the Pelicans a legitimate threat to grab a playoff seed this season.

Davis, and some of his teammates, first need to prove that they can remain healthy. But if they do just that, a new dangerous opponent will emerge in the already ultra-competitive Western Conference, with a legitimate superstar-in-the-making leading the way and taking control of the game. 

Anthony Davis is as good as advertised. He’s already dominating NBA defenses and offenses on just raw talent and ability, and will only get better. – Rappler.com