Anthony Davis: Teams That Would Be Tempted to Pass on Defensive Fiend
Anthony Davis isn’t the perfect prospect.
While he’s the consensus No. 1 player in the 2012 NBA Draft class, that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to be selected with the first overall pick. If he fails to fill the need of a team that wins the lottery, they’ll be tempted to pass on the Kentucky Wildcat. Here’s a pair of franchises that will struggle with the decision to choose Davis or not if they hit the jackpot.
If the Cavs selected Jonas Valanciunas last year, picking Davis would be a no-brainer because he’s the perfect compliment. But instead, they drafted Tristan Thompson who’s strictly a power forward. Cleveland has plenty of fours on its roster—what it needs is a true center.
There isn’t any guarantee Davis is capable of being a five at the next level. One of his few weaknesses is strength. At just 220 pounds, he’d get bullied in the paint by the league’s strongest centers.
Cleveland has two first-round picks. Either Meyers Leonard or Fab Melo—two true centers—are likely to be on the board the second time the Cavs are on the clock. Don’t be shocked if they choose to bolster their perimeter with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Bradley Beal if they land the No. 1 pick.
Like Cleveland, Washington badly needs perimeter help. The Wizards have a log-jam at the power forward spot right now with Andray Blatche, Kevin Seraphin and Trevor Booker. Even if they project Davis as a capable center, they just traded for Nene.
John Wall needs a partner in crime with ability on the offensive end to help shoulder some of the scoring load. Davis isn’t that guy. If the Wizards land the first-overall pick, expect them to go MKD, Beal or trade down because they have needs galore.
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.
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