Raptors NBA Draft Thread: Anthony Davis

[Undefeated]

At this point, it’s premature to say that Anthony Davis won’t amount to a first option that can lead and carry his respective team in a playoff series. There’s not much to go on to make such a bold claim when he hasn’t played a single NBA game. Anything can happen. Keep in mind that Davis on most night was a fifth option. Before the NCAA Championship game against Kansas, Andy Katz had a one-on-one interview with John Calipari with Coach Cal saying that if Anthony Davis was allowed to take 20 shots a game instead of being the fifth guy with the most shot attempts on the Wildcats; he would’ve shown much more. But Davis knew that he had other teammates who could put the ball in the basket just as equally well as the top scorers in the nation. Davis sacrificed a larger role offensively, so that there wouldn’t be any problems sharing the ball between teammates. I don’t think Anthony Davis can be a Tim Duncan or Hakeem Olajuwon, but he can be a Kevin Garnett or Chris Bosh offensively meaning first option on a second-round playoff team at best or a very, very good second option/third banana with more offensive firepower on the perimeter. Of course there was some bias in Coach Cal’s response, but if you think about it, Davis has shown glimpses of creating space for himself to get a shot off whether that would be a turnaround jumper from the baseline and pinch post, a 5-foot jump hook over the left or right shoulder with either hand, can pop the 15-foot jumper in rhythm off the dribble stopping on a dime or pulling up, and can initiate a one-man fast-break going rim-to-rim gliding through, past and around any defender standing in his path before he gently lays the ball in with a finger roll. He’s only been playing in his 6-foot-10 frame for what, a year and a half? By that projection, he’s already showing some great big man fundamentals already with his drop step and the great extension he gets on his release over his shoulder for the jump hook which seldom gets blocked in such a short period of time. His feel for the game on the offensive end is simply outstanding. It’s almost Guard like the way he moves on the floor. For a big man, he’s got terrific point guard hands – can catch bad passes. Literally, Marquis Teague would throw a bounce pass that’s well below his knee, and he’d still scoop up the pass on the move. Or when someone throws a lob pass that’s a bit behind his head, he’d be able to catch it from behind and throw down the two-handed alley-oop like he did against Louisville. He understands where to move off of the basketball and find open spots for easy baskets. You can’t say that for too many bigs in the NBA that need direction from the PG. With his background playing some PG prior to get his growth spurt, it gives him an advantage. No one should expect Anthony Davis to be a dynamite offensive player from the get-go, but if you give him some time where he can put everything together which isn’t impossible with his work ethic and love for the game, there’s no doubt he’ll turn out to be a very good player.

[Snakeyes]

reading david aldridge's article got me excited at the possibilities ahaha , what should the raptors do if they win the lottery and pick 1st and take davis??

Definitely not some dumb **** like trading down. Only way he gets traded would be for Wiggins and even that depends on how good Davis is in his first two years.

I also think it would be time to trade Bargnani but this has no chance of happening with Colangelo at the helm.

[Schad]

The rest I can sort of understand, but Anthony Davis over Yao Ming? If both were in the same draft, I'd take Yao #1 in a heartbeat.

Not drafting their careers, as noted, but the versions of them available at draft time. Yao was a somewhat iffy pick...Oden might actually be a closer-run affair, but I like draft-year Davis over draft-year Oden, come to think, but I'd still take the former.

[Jester_]

People definitely underestimate the actual defensive impact this guy had this year. You can certainly make the argument that he is the best defensive freshman to ever play in college -- at least since the Kareem/Russel/Wilt days.

As for his offensive game, he's freakishly long, freakishly athletic, and shot 70% from the field this year. He's going to score if he has to.

[lolwut]

The rest I can sort of understand, but Anthony Davis over Yao Ming? If both were in the same draft, I'd take Yao #1 in a heartbeat.

Not drafting their careers, as noted, but the versions of them available at draft time. Yao was a somewhat iffy pick...Oden might actually be a closer-run affair, but I like draft-year Davis over draft-year Oden, come to think, but I'd still take the former.

That's what I meant - drafting at the time of the draft. Yao Ming was a once in a lifetime kind of player, and I'd wager that pretty much no team would pass him up for Anthony Davis.

[Schad]

That's what I meant - drafting at the time of the draft. Yao Ming was a once in a lifetime kind of player, and I'd wager that pretty much no team would pass him up for Anthony Davis.

He wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime kind of player at the time of the draft...he was a very skinny -- and top-heavy -- overseas center who many predicted would take years to develop, if he developed at all. Shawn Bradley comparisons abounded. I definitely wouldn't classify draft-year Yao as can't-miss.

[Undefeated]

People definitely underestimate the actual defensive impact this guy had this year. You can certainly make the argument that he is the best defensive freshman to ever play in college -- at least since the Kareem/Russel/Wilt days.

As for his offensive game, he's freakishly long, freakishly athletic, and shot 70% from the field this year. He's going to score if he has to.

I remember a half-time segment on Anthony Davis about how much area he covers the floor defensively with his shot-blocking and length. They said the area of a whole basketball court is 4,700 square feet, 2,300 square feet in the half-court setting and Anthony Davis covers about 270 square feet (the paint) of the 2,300 sq. feet with his ability to block shots, rotate and wall off the paint against incoming slashers, and rebound like a mad man. For a single player to take up about 12% of the half-court is pretty astronomical.

[Dr Positivity]

kryie irving or davis if they are both in same draft?

If you had a draft involving the rookie versions of the players taken #1 in the drafts from 2003-2012, I'd take Davis over Irving, Wall, Oden, Bargnani and Bogut, likely over Yao and Blake, and possibly even Rose.

None of these players go over post rookie year Oden. He was expected to be solid health wise from that point forward and came into the league hyped up as a different league of prospect than anyone else on that list.

[garbagnani]

Suppose we don;t win the lottery, any chance we can trade for #1 pick?

We could put together a pretty attractive package.. ie a variation of jonas, our pick, demar, ed, bargs, future picks...? maybe take back a bad contract in the deal?

[chyau.00]

That's what I meant - drafting at the time of the draft. Yao Ming was a once in a lifetime kind of player, and I'd wager that pretty much no team would pass him up for Anthony Davis.

He wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime kind of player at the time of the draft...he was a very skinny -- and top-heavy -- overseas center who many predicted would take years to develop, if he developed at all. Shawn Bradley comparisons abounded. I definitely wouldn't classify draft-year Yao as can't-miss.

Yao was a can't miss in terms of the marketing and revenue generating potential.

[Zarko]

Suppose we don;t win the lottery, any chance we can trade for #1 pick?

We could put together a pretty attractive package.. ie a variation of jonas, our pick, demar, ed, bargs, future picks...? maybe take back a bad contract in the deal?

I'd want to keep Valanciunas to develop alongside Davis, but I still think no team gives up Davis.

Derozan, #8, 2013 1st, Davis, Bargnani would be the basis to the trade. I don't think any team would go for it.

[Thesachman19]

Suppose we don;t win the lottery, any chance we can trade for #1 pick?

We could put together a pretty attractive package.. ie a variation of jonas, our pick, demar, ed, bargs, future picks...? maybe take back a bad contract in the deal?

I'd want to keep Valanciunas to develop alongside Davis, but I still think no team gives up Davis.

Derozan, #8, 2013 1st, Davis, Bargnani would be the basis to the trade. I don't think any team would go for it.

Neither would BC

[Dr Positivity]

Nothing on our roster would be enough to move up for Davis. One franchise player prospect >>> 3-5 non all-star prospects. The team who wins the lotto will be getting insane offers and they'll probably turn them all down. There was a rumor when Portland won the Oden lotto that Denver offered them Carmelo (at the height of his value @ 23 coming off a 29ppg season) and the Blazers hung up immediately. That's the type of craze that will surround the team who gets Davis. I think Detroit and Sacramento would offer them Monroe/Knight/2012 pick or Cousins/Thomas/Jimmer/2012 pick and they'll likely get turned down. I think it would take Cleveland offering Kyrie Irving and their 2012 pick to make the team at #1 blink. And they might do it - Cleveland's stat machines ranked Tristan Thompson as a top 5 prospect last year and everything about TT's year statistically, Davis is the Optimus Prime version of. Gilbert might think he has a chance to trade Mark Price and a top 10 pick for Tim Duncan.

[Snakeyes]

Coincidence?

[JamesNaismith]

Coincidence?

No...that hat matches his shirt and truck perfectly.

[Stun704]

Coincidence?

Damn looks like retro charlotte hornets, not new orleans

[Dr Positivity]

I made a scouting report video on him

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lXLH7vtrsE[/youtube]

[Traps92]

It would be a miracle if we ended up drafting Anthony Davis. With him and JV together, they could be a capable of defending the paint for the Raptors for many years to come!

[RalphWiggum]

I made a scouting report video on him

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lXLH7vtrsE[/youtube]

Great thorough an in depth understanding of the game and what Anthony Davis can be at the next level. Makes me question the disparaging remarks I've made about him as a player at the next level. Unfortunately what I saw before still stands in my obviously totally uneducated opinion, there is just something about him that totally scares me in comparison to what others have said about absolute no doubt sure fire #1 picks we have had in the past. When I compare him to the other 4-5 other guys who have had that tag over the last 20 year I just can't see AD becoming what they did.

[Kenyon009]

If the Raptors got Davis it would turn the Raptors into some sort of possible Spurs clone. Two big guys and then you might have a steal player in DeRozan and then another pick maybe Marshall who might end up being like Parker in some strange way. The lack of sleep is getting to me, can't wait until Victoria day.