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2012 Draft Thursday, June 28th: Raptors select Terence Ross

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  • Anthony Davis

    Anthony Davis might be the most physically gifted power forward since Kevin Garnett. His length, stride, will, and energy are eye-catching to say the least, and when you can say with confidence that at worst he will be a much better version of JaVale McGee and at best he can be at least as good as KG, that is a pretty good starting point.

    Beyond the physical, though, Davis really piqued my interest by doing some pretty impressive things from a game understanding standpoint. With thinner players, there is a continual concern about their physicality. However, that worry was put to rest early with Davis. He initiated contact off the ball continually, willing to meet opponents with an arm bar in the chest or back and not backing down when more experienced players attempted to intimidate him. In addition, young players often make the mistake of constantly attempting to block the shot of the players they are guarding, which often leaves them out of position at best and fouling at worst. It is simply a low-percentage play. Davis, however, challenges the shot of his matchup, then moves to rebounding position effectively. He also sees the value in going for weakside blocks, and moves into those areas quickly, giving the offense a chance to feel safe before uncoiling for the block.

    Davis races the floor, which is a major positive (and is breathtaking to watch), and he will pick up points just by virtue of his speed and commitment in transition. However, he is often out of position on the offensive end, and seems a little lost between being a post player and being a perimeter player. This is definitely teachable, and his season at Kentucky should help him in that regard. He plays well as the screen and roll player, holding his screen long enough and timing his roll to the basket well.

    In the post, however, Davis needs to recognize spots to seal his defender after he rolls when he doesn’t receive the ball immediately. In addition, he does not take advantage of his defender being out of position after skip passes, and lets the defender move around him much too easily. Anticipation here is the key, Coach Cal will be teaching Davis how to recognize what will be available at least one pass ahead of time. Davis will get easy scoring chances by carving out that spot and claiming it as his own, then demanding the ball once it gets to the player who can find him. This comes through experience.

    Overall, there are few prospects over the last few years to be as excited about as Anthony Davis. Watching him grow and mature over this season should be a real gift for basketball fans and whoever picks first in his draft.
    http://www.hoopsworld.com/coach-obse...austin-rivers/


    It is official. I have a man crush on Anthony Davis.

    Comment


    • Matt52 wrote: View Post
      A good read..... on a VERY small sample size.

      HoopsWorld and NBADraft.net have been drooling over Turner for months. Not only has he lost the starting position, he has been benched for going on 2 games.
      Great read. First thing I've read front to back from Hoopsworld in the LONG time. hahah
      Once Drummond figures out how to stay on the floor, he will be dominant.

      Comment


      • I may take issue with this ...
        and when you can say with confidence that at worst he will be a much better version of JaVale McGee and at best he can be at least as good as KG, that is a pretty good starting point.
        Daivs is good, and will be for many years, but geezus ... Simmer down Hoopsworld. haha

        Comment


        • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
          Disagree. I see Harrison Barnes as having one of the highest ceilings out of ANYONE in this draft.
          As I said, I like Barnes, but I don't see him having an elite level skill. Elite players generally have at least one supernatural skill that simply puts them in a different category. Barnes is a good scorer, shooter and defender. He's got pretty good handles and is a decent facilitator, but isn't great at creating shots for himself and doesn't have point forward skills passing the ball. He's got above average, although not elite, athleticism. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of Brandon Roy. Now obviously a lot of Raptor fans would be happy with a Brandon Roy-type, as I would, but even without his knee problems, Roy was never on the same level as guys like LeBron, Kobe or Wade.

          WHat is it that's going to set Barnes apart?
          Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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          Comment


          • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
            I may take issue with this ...


            Daivs is good, and will be for many years, but geezus ... Simmer down Hoopsworld. haha
            Don't know why you take issue with that. I'd say he'll immediately be better than JaVale McGee because he's got a better basketball IQ right now. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him as one of the top 5 players in the league 5 years from now.
            Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
            Follow me on Twitter.

            Comment


            • Tim W. wrote: View Post
              As I said, I like Barnes, but I don't see him having an elite level skill. Elite players generally have at least one supernatural skill that simply puts them in a different category. Barnes is a good scorer, shooter and defender. He's got pretty good handles and is a decent facilitator, but isn't great at creating shots for himself and doesn't have point forward skills passing the ball. He's got above average, although not elite, athleticism. In a lot of ways, he reminds me of Brandon Roy. Now obviously a lot of Raptor fans would be happy with a Brandon Roy-type, as I would, but even without his knee problems, Roy was never on the same level as guys like LeBron, Kobe or Wade.

              WHat is it that's going to set Barnes apart?
              Barnes IQ, in my opinion, is ELITE. His feel for the game is ELITE.
              His dedication and work ethic is unquestionably Elite.
              His scoring ability is, in my opinion once again, Verging on Elite potential. He just knows how to score the ball.
              He works his butt off on D, and makes people better. We NEED a Small Forward who IS a Small Forward.
              We don't need a Point Forward. Or a Power Forward playing SF. We need a Legit Swingman, and Barnes is that and more.

              Did you watch him in the ACC tournament or March Madness last year? Creating a shot for himself was definitely NOT an issue.


              Tim W. wrote: View Post
              Don't know why you take issue with that. I'd say he'll immediately be better than JaVale McGee because he's got a better basketball IQ right now. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him as one of the top 5 players in the league 5 years from now.
              My issue wasn't so much with Javale McGee, or even the comparison to KG. It was more in saying he can be "at least as good as" (ie Better than) a Future Hall of Famer after.. what? 3 games?

              You said so yourself in our Beasley debate. "NCAA means nothing." Or something to that effect.
              Last edited by Joey; Thu Nov 17, 2011, 06:53 PM.

              Comment


              • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
                Barnes IQ, in my opinion, is ELITE. His feel for the game is ELITE.
                His dedication and work ethic is unquestionably Elite.
                His scoring ability is, in my opinion once again, Verging on Elite potential. He just knows how to score the ball.
                He works his butt off on D, and makes people better. We NEED a Small Forward who IS a Small Forward.
                We don't need a Point Forward. Or a Power Forward playing SF. We need a Legit Swingman, and Barnes is that and more.

                Did you watch him in the ACC tournament or March Madness last year? Creating a shot for himself was definitely NOT an issue.
                He can create a shot for himself in college, but the big knock on him is whether he'll be able to do it in the pros.

                As for his IQ, that's great, but that's it's also yet another thing he's got in common with Brandon Roy. In a lot of ways, Barnes reminds me of Sean Elliott, another high IQ SF who didn't really have any elite skill.

                As for what the Raptors need more than anything, it's an elite player. Period. The Raptors are simply not talented enough to be picking and choosing what type of player they need. If the best player was a SG, then that's exactly who they should take because, however much I like DeRozan, he's not good enough to build your team around. And they need someone who is good enough to build the team around.

                In the NBA, it's often the best player who wins a Championship, so that means you need to try and draft the absolute best player. If it ends up being Barnes, then fine. But I think wanting him because he fills the needs of a 22 win team is not the smartest thing.

                joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
                My issue wasn't so much with Javale McGee, or even the comparison to KG. It was more in saying he can be "at least as good as" (ie Better than) a Future Hall of Famer after.. what? 3 games?

                You said so yourself in our Beasley debate. "NCAA means nothing." Or something to that effect.
                Well, for one thing, you're taking the quote out of context. This is the exact quote:

                ...at best he can be at least as good as KG
                I added the bold. In other words, his ceiling is to be better than KG. Not that he will be at least as good as Garnett.

                And I, as well as am guessing the scouts, are not basing it on just 3 college games. Have you watched the guy? He has the passing ability of a PG, the handles of a wingman, can shoot out to the 3 point line, it's impossible to keep him off the boards and he'll block anything close to him, but is a smart enough defender to know when not to go for blocks. He's got great hands and a very soft touch. He's also an extremely hard worker, athletic and has a great motor. And he's got an outstanding IQ. About the only two things working against him is his frame, which he can still fill out easily, and the fact that he doesn't exactly look like Denzel Washington- although Larry Bird was one of the best players in history and he had an ugly mug, so all is not lost.

                I don't give a crap that he doesn't fill any positional needs for the Raptors. If he's as good as he appears, then he's going to be one of the top players in the league and THAT'S what the Raptors need.
                Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
                Follow me on Twitter.

                Comment


                • I don't want him just because we need a Small Forward Tim. I thought that was pretty clear.
                  Anyway, we disagree about how good he will be. Thats fine.


                  And all I'm saying about Davis, is I think everyone needs to just relax a bit.
                  Let him play a few more games before you sell the farm.
                  Obviously he's been playing out of this world, but let's see what his whole body of work looks like before we start saying he could be a hall-of-famer. He's played a few College games. Thats it.

                  Comment


                  • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
                    I don't want him just because we need a Small Forward Tim. I thought that was pretty clear.
                    Anyway, we disagree about how good he will be. Thats fine.


                    And all I'm saying about Davis, is I think everyone needs to just relax a bit.
                    Let him play a few more games before you sell the farm.
                    Obviously he's been playing out of this world, but let's see what his whole body of work looks like before we start saying he could be a hall-of-famer. He's played a few College games. Thats it.
                    I understand what you're saying. And I'm saying a 22 win team with the dearth of talent the Raptors have shouldn't be choosing a player based on what position he plays. And no one is suggesting Davis is going to be the best player or "selling the farm" on him. Just saying that he has shown to have a lot of potential. That's it.

                    It's also WAY too early to start saying who you want to pick in the 2012 draft. Barnes is a viable candidate, but so are a several other players. Davis being one of them.

                    And just remember that Davis also played some high school ball before Kentucky and looked pretty damn good there, too, so it's not just because of 3 games.
                    Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
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                    Comment


                    • I've been set on drafting Barnes since his Junior year in Highschool when he led Ames to 26-0. I guess I'm biased and should have stated so much earlier in the debate. haha
                      So I guess I also can't get upset at someone else for having a bit of a man-crush. Especially Anthony Davis. But that unibrow is UNREAL. hahah

                      ADD And I think I was supposed to say "Bet the Farm" ... not "Sell the Farm" .. may have messed that idiom up. hahah

                      ADD2 And not to rehash, but maybe just brush up on Barnes Freshman year and what he did for UNC ... was pretty impressive by any measure if you ask me. Let alone one of the finest Basketball Pedigrees in NCAA history...
                      On November 1, 2010, Barnes was named a preseason All-American by the AP. He is the first freshman to ever receive this honor.

                      Additionally, Barnes's 40 point performance set the record for points by a Freshman in an ACC Tournament game.

                      Barnes scored the most points, as a freshman, in the ACC tournament since Phil Ford scored 78 points in 1975. He then went on to the NCAA tournament where he scored 84 points, the most points of any UNC freshman in history.
                      *Soo Lazy so thats just from Wikipedia; but you get the idea.
                      Barnes is just as Elite anyone else in the Top 5. In my opinion.
                      Last edited by Joey; Thu Nov 17, 2011, 10:17 PM.

                      Comment


                      • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
                        I've been set on drafting Barnes since his Junior year in Highschool when he led Ames to 26-0. I guess I'm biased and should have stated so much earlier in the debate. haha
                        So I guess I also can't get upset at someone else for having a bit of a man-crush. Especially Anthony Davis. But that unibrow is UNREAL. hahah

                        ADD And I think I was supposed to say "Bet the Farm" ... not "Sell the Farm" .. may have messed that idiom up. hahah
                        I would say you're more than a little biased. And as I said, I do like him and would not be upset if he were in a Raptor uniform next season. I just want to make sure whoever they choose is the best player, and not someone who simply fills a positional need.

                        I do agree about that unibrow on Davis, though. It's hideous.
                        Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
                        Follow me on Twitter.

                        Comment


                        • Sorry, I added more. haha

                          Comment


                          • joey_hesketh wrote: View Post
                            ADD2 And not to rehash, but maybe just brush up on Barnes Freshman year and what he did for UNC ... was pretty impressive by any measure if you ask me. Let alone one of the finest Basketball Pedigrees in NCAA history...


                            *Soo Lazy so thats just from Wikipedia; but you get the idea.
                            Barnes is just as Elite anyone else in the Top 5. In my opinion.
                            Again, I do like the guy,, but if Barnes finishes college with a finer pedigree than Christian Laettner that would be something. And Laettner played in exactly one All-Star game in his NBA career. And Michael Beasley had one of the most impressive freshman seasons in NCAA history.

                            I think that Barnes is definitely in the conversation for best player in the 2012 draft, but at this point Davis looks to have an edge because of his higher ceiling. While this may change, I simply see Davis being more of an impact player in the NBA than Barnes.
                            Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
                            Follow me on Twitter.

                            Comment


                            • i really like barnes too but he doesn't look like a franchise player. Not explosive enough, i'd look for a guy like Quincy miller

                              Comment


                              • i like Quincy Miller i think he'll be one of the top SF's this draft

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