2012 NBA Draft: Why Anthony Davis Is the Best Player Available

Anthony Davis was the top recruited player along with Connecticut's Andre Drummond.

Both are big men who have amazing skill sets and look like they can manage at the NBA level. The thing about Davis, a University of Kentucky recruit, is that he has shown what he can do.

As a junior in high school, Davis was a guard on his team, standing at 6'3, but at the beginning of his senior season, Davis had experienced a vertical growth of seven inches! This classifies Davis as a power forward in the NBA and college basketball.

Davis is a big man with the skillset of a guard and the ability to rebound and play in the post. These kind of combinations are rarely seen, but it is a great advantage for him.

First, let's go over his strengths and weaknesses, and then we'll evaluate how he has played so far in Kentucky to solidify his place as a top prospect.

One strength, mentioned before, is his ability to play like both a guard and a big man at the same time. His defense is what amazes so many scouts.

Davis is a great post defender, and one of the best shot blockers many have seen in a long time. He averages 4.6 blocks per game—the same amount as Shaquille O'Neal in his freshman year at LSU.

For a big man, he has good footwork and is pretty athletic for his size. He has an above average post game, and it's a thing of beauty watching him play, whether it be in or outside the paint.

Many big men are not that good at offensive rebounding and hustling for rebounds, but Davis excels at it. Offensive rebounds are something that all big men can get, but Davis plays as if he deserves that ball.

Many teams need someone like that right now.

Davis doesn't have many weaknesses, and that's a great thing. His two main ones can both be improved with hard work and determination.

The first is his free-throw shooting. Davis is currently shooting 68 percent from the charity stripe, and if he can improve that part of his game, he can be an elite scorer.

The other is his weight. He's only 220 pounds, which is pretty low for someone of his size, and in order to be a huge force in the paint on offense and defense, Davis needs to bulk up and add some more muscle.

This season, Davis has led Kentucky to an 18-1 record, which is good enough to rank the Wildcats second in college basketball. In his latest game against Arkansas, Davis scored a career-high 27 points on 10-12 shooting, along with 14 rebounds and seven blocks!

He's averaging a double-double, scoring around 13 points per game on 64 percent shooting and grabbing around ten rebounds on a nightly basis.

He is also doing great on the defensive side of the game, as he averages 1.6 steals and 4.6 blocks per game.

Davis is the player with the most upside in the draft, and the best player in this draft, period. If he can transition his college game to the NBA, Davis can be one of the elite big men and a constant All-Defensive team player.