Anthony Davis: Finding NBA Counterpart for Future No. 1 Pick

Anthony Davis, who will undoubtedly go No. 1 in the upcoming NBA draft, is a truly unique talent, so finding his NBA comparison is no easy task. 

In reality, this 19-year-old kid is probably just a combination of a bunch of different players, but it's still interesting to see who he might resemble once he gets to the NBA.

So, let's go ahead and break down the different parts of his game. 

Offense

People see that Davis is 6'10", but they forget he grew about seven inches in between his junior and senior year of high school. 

Because of that late growth spurt, Davis is essentially a guard in a big man's body. So, he has the ball-handling and athleticism that guys his size shouldn't have. At all. Take a look:

Pay particular attention to the play starting at about the 18-second mark. How many players Davis' size have you seen run the fast-break like that?

I think I remember seeing Pau Gasol running the break once, but most 6'10" guys don't look as comfortable handling the ball as Davis.

In that aspect, he sort of reminds me of what Anthony Randolph was supposed to be, but the more appropriate comparison might be what Lamar Odom was up until this season.

The prototypical point-forward. 

Take a look at some more of Anthony's offensive skills: 

His post game, even though he has tremendous footwork and quickness, is very raw. It just isn't very good, at least not yet. Where he excels on offense, however, is with his jumpshot.

Of course, this make sense when you remember he has the mentality of a guard. In the NBA, I think Davis will excel on the pick-and-pop for 18-foot jumpers, but if he puts on a little more muscle, he has the ability and shooting stroke to extend his range to the NBA 3-point line.

You'll see a lot of Kevin Garnett comparisons (and I can see that, especially considering the mid-range game.) Davis' lack of post game, and what I think will turn into longer range, point to a Lamar Odom comparison, at least on offense. 

Defense: 

The defensive end is where Davis is truly special. His ridiculous wingspan and ability to quickly get off the ground helped him average 4.7 blocks per game at Kentucky.

Take a look at his defense here:

As you can see, he's not just all shot-blocking. Most importantly, he has an insane basketball IQ. He jumps passing lanes and when the pick-and-roll forces him onto a guard making him play defense on a quicker player on the perimeter, he wisely funnels the guard into a position where he can make the block or alter the shot. 

His one weakness will be when a heavy post player with decent enough footwork (in the video, pay attention to St. Johns' God's Gift Achiuwa) matches up with him one-on-one on the deep block. 

The ability to both defend the rim and guard the perimeter again suggests a comparison to Kevin Garnett (career 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.) However, Garnett is better in the post, especially considering he's about 40 pounds heavier. 

Instead, I'll go with Marcus Camby. Camby is an inch taller than Davis, but had a similar body type, similar athleticism (although, it's still less), and blocked a lot of shots when he was in his prime.

Another good candidate is Serge Ibaka, who clearly defends the rim well and combines a good amount of size and athleticism. I'll stick with Camby just because he was also oozing potential coming out of college. 

Summary:

So, there you have it. Anthony Davis' NBA comparison is Anthony-Kevin-Lamar-Camby-Duncan-Chandler-Ibaka-Olajuwon.

But, if I had to pick, I'd call him Lamar Odom on offense and Marcus Camby on defense. Yeah, I'd say that's worthy of a No. 1 pick. 

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