TheLastHarbaugh

June 18th, 2012 at 9:42 PM ^

Yeah. I look at him and think, he's a one dimensional player at this point. I think that's fairly obvious. What would worry me if I were a Hornets fan is that he's the "wrong kind" of one dimensional player.

It's a hell of a lot easier to teach an uber athletic scorer to play defense than it is to teach an an uber athletic defender to score.

Think about Lebron (not to compare the two). He came into the league as a super athetic scorer who couldn't really shoot and wasn't that great on defense. Nine years into his career, he's one of the best defenders in the league but he still can't really shoot.

Look at Dwight Howard. Came into the league a super athletic big man, who was a good defender, but couldn't really score. Years later, he's a great defender, but he still can't really score (other then dunks and putbacks). 

I really look at young Dwight Howard for comparison. I don't think Anthony Davis will ever be as good of a defender or rebounder as Dwight, simply because he'll never be as big, strong, or athletically dominant as Dwight is/was.

Maybe he has certain intagibles that Dwight doesn't have, and will have a better front office in New Orleans, but I think a "broke Dwight Howard" is the kid's ceiling. Especially if he never develops the offensive side of his game. Dwight's offense skills are fairly limited but he's so physically imposing that he can get away with it. Unless Anthony Davis starts Barry Bondsing it, I don't he'll never be as physically dominant as Dwight.

TheLastHarbaugh

June 18th, 2012 at 10:56 PM ^

Olajuwon didn't really develop a post game until maybe 8 years into his career though, once his legs started failing him.

All of that is kind of off topic however. I think the point stands that it's much easier to teach an elite athlete to play defense, than offense. There are more Marus Cambys and Serge Ibakas(hell, even Kwame Brown turned into one of better low post defenders in the game based on sheer athleticism), than there are Hakeem Olajuwons

gajensen

June 18th, 2012 at 9:59 PM ^

If anything, I worry for him due to there not being much precedent for players like him to succeed. The only top 4 pick with a frame similar to his to actually blossom into an all star has been Chris Bosh, and he wasn't pegged as a game changer on draft day. Stromile Swift and Tyrus Thomas are the other two and were both considered to be more athletic, defensively impactful players, but neither have panned out. I have no idea what the best case scenario is for Davis.

Needs

June 18th, 2012 at 10:39 PM ^

Bosh is a good analogue for his upside. Marcus Camby, too. Those guys have had a nice careers but haven't ever been anyone you build a team around. Davis's issue is always going to be bulk. Can he put on enough weight to play on the block or is he going to be another face up 6'11" guy? 

M-Wolverine

June 19th, 2012 at 12:10 PM ^

Not directly to Needs.

People forget he was a freshman.  And if Marcus Camby is your low end, you've still gotten a good player with a good career. But upside I don't think they're looking at him as much as a Dwight Howard type as a Tim Duncan type. I see him listed as anywhere from 248-255 as an NBA old man playing weight.  Can't find what he weighed his first year in college.  

However he averaged 9.8 points a game as a freshman, and 16.8 as a sophomore. Pretty comparable. And I don't know that early Duncan showed a lot more flash of offensive potential as a kid.  Now, I'm not saying Davis is destined to be as good as the greatest power forward of all time. But that's the type of player they're looking for, style wise.  With maybe a little more Dirk and Durant outside lankiness, if not those guy's shot. Just that he hasn't had 4 years college to develop all that, and while it may be hard to do it in the NBA, he has the years. When you leave that early (or earlier) like Lebron, it seems like you've been in the League forever, but still are in your prime. Kobe is getting all those records because he had 4 more quality NBA career years than a lot of guys who had to wait to enter the League.

I may be in the minority around here, but I think he's the surest bet we've had at #1 since Rose, and though his upside probably isn't as good as Rose, it's better than a lot of the top picks we've had since. (Though I'm sure they'd be as happy with him being as good as Griffin...I'm just not sure he was a can't miss prospect).

But I'm mainly pissed because I think he'd have been the perfect compliment and exactly what the Pistons need.

 

bacon1431

June 18th, 2012 at 9:28 PM ^

This will knock Sullinger to around where I think he should have been drafted in the first place. High floor, low celing. He's about as good as he's going to be. But he's also a fairly sure thing at being able to contribute at the NBA level.

MGoPietrowski

June 18th, 2012 at 11:31 PM ^

This is a fake. Picture is from a video on YouTube from years ago. It was a news

Story about a man jacking off in libraries. This is old. Not trying to be a dick to you, but as great as it would be, there's no cumshot bandit lurking the streets of CBUS

yoyo

June 19th, 2012 at 8:18 AM ^

The problem with the pistons is deeper than getting a true center.  They have a lot of talent but none of it really meshes together and we lack the coaching to make it work.

bacon1431

June 19th, 2012 at 9:36 AM ^

Agree and disagree. The talent doesn't mesh well - but that is mostly Ben Gordon and Charlie V - both of whom are not part of the future of this franchise. Still scratching my head over Dumars signing them but whatever. Before this past season we had too many shooting guards - Gordon, Rip, and Stuckey (who as much as they tried to make a PG, he's just not a PG). Stuck and Knight really started to get it going second half of the season IMO. I thought Stuck was dispensable, but he really improved his stock in my eyes.

Frank actually did a great job this past season. With the lockout, you couldn't really expect much of a start with a new coaching staff. Second half of the season was much better.

Monroe and Knight are good, not great, pieces to build around. I'm hoping they can get someone that will really help them out with the 9th pick, we'll see. LOVE Jerebko - good backup PF/SF. Maxiell is solid as well. Not a fan of Daye, his time is up. Tay is getting older, not sure what they'll do with him.

M-Wolverine

June 19th, 2012 at 12:16 PM ^

They were only like 3-5 games back of being where New Orleans was. (If you don't believe in the conspiracy theories).  Their biggest problem is that they believe can't sign a star (thus the stupid waste of cap space on Ben and Charlie), trading for a top tier star is all but impossible (though you can trade for 2 or 3 2nd tier close stars), and they insist on not getting bad enough to draft a superstar.  Even in years where there's a clear cut one available.  So they're in NBA purgatory, last team in the playoffs or bottom of the lottery, to be mediocre forever.  They're the 80's Milwaukee Bucks.