Anthony Davis is underrated - Has top 10 all time potential

[StrongLurk]

Through 3 seasons - Age 22.

Averages 20/10 with 2.5 blocks and 1.5 steals on 53 percent shooting in only 33 mpg. Already over 80 percent free throw shooter which is major for a big man and has an elite midrange jump shot.

119 offensive rating/103 defensive rating. Leads the league in points rolling to the basket and 2nd in the league in defending jumpshots. Career PER of 26.6 - Topping out at 31.14 PER as of now with a chance to break the modern day per record.

If this dude gets out of New Orleans and gets an elite team around him with a solid coach, he is easily gonna get a couple championships and MVP's as long as he stays healthy.

I'm actually surprised at how good he is already, even with him coming into the league pretty hyped on. Most likely will be the best player in the league in 3 years at 24 years old. Same as Lebron did in 08-09.

[navy]

lol at anthony davis being underrated

He's rated fine.

[BIG FURB]

How is Unibrow underrated? The kids a beast, everyone acknowledges this. Where do you see all this underrating?

[chocolatethunder]

If he was white and his name was Kevin Love he'd have "empty stats" and be ridiculed for being injured. Meanwhile, he's been surrounded with 10x the talent Love has and hasn't made the playoffs yet and somehow he's underrated. I think he's a future MVP but the double standard is comical.

[ISHGoat]

If he was white and his name was Kevin Love he'd have "empty stats" and be ridiculed for being injured. Meanwhile, he's been surrounded with 10x the talent Love has and hasn't made the playoffs yet and somehow he's underrated. I think he's a future MVP but the double standard is comical.

Kevin Love's stats are empty because he plays on one half of the floor. AD dominates both.

[LoneyROY7]

If he was white and his name was Kevin Love he'd have "empty stats" and be ridiculed for being injured. Meanwhile, he's been surrounded with 10x the talent Love has and hasn't made the playoffs yet and somehow he's underrated. I think he's a future MVP but the double standard is comical.

:roll: :roll: :roll:

[ralph_i_el]

If he was white and his name was Kevin Love he'd have "empty stats" and be ridiculed for being injured. Meanwhile, he's been surrounded with 10x the talent Love has and hasn't made the playoffs yet and somehow he's underrated. I think he's a future MVP but the double standard is comical.
Kinda this, but I'd take AD in a heartbeat over Love. Younger, more potential. But yeah, Love never played on a team as good as NO is right now.

[JohnnySic]

No he doesn't. People said the same about Dwight Howard. Give it a few years, the you can judge him correctly.

[imdaman99]

He is not underrated. He is already put in the top 5 by most people and you think that's underrating him? :rolleyes: Where do you want him to be rated? As the best player in the NBA? There are people making threads about how crappy his teammates are everyday, all to defend the fact that AD might miss the playoffs. He is playing in the West, so I can understand him not making it. But I expect playoffs from him and his team next year.

[chocolatethunder]

Kinda this, but I'd take AD in a heartbeat over Love. Younger, more potential. But yeah, Love never played on a team as good as NO is right now.
Id take Davis all day too. But in Minny, Love literally didn't even have half the talent Davis has.

[k0kakw0rld]

Empty stats // Stat whore

Injury prone

[BlakFrankWhite]

Mr.Empty stats can't lead his team to the playoffs over a crippled Thunder....

And people compare him to Tim f'ing Duncan??

[LAZERUSS]

Empty stats // Stat whore

Injury prone

Geez.

I guess he just will be another Kevin Garnett then. What a disgrace.

[swagga]

after 3 seasons, how does anthony davis have more potential than:

jordan
shaq
lebron
hakeem
magic
bird
duncan
kareem
ewing
drob
barkley
durant
(and so on)

All these guys showed much more than davis (skill, accolades, playoffs, mvps, rings) after 3 years... not to mention what they did afterwards.

[ralph_i_el]

after 3 seasons, how does anthony davis have more potential than:

jordan
shaq
lebron
hakeem
magic
bird
duncan
kareem
ewing
drob
barkley
durant
(and so on)

All these guys showed much more than davis (skill, accolades, playoffs, mvps, rings) after 3 years... not to mention what they did afterwards.

Outside of Durant and Bron all those guys were much older after 3 years. AD is comparable to Durant and Bron after 3 seasons.

I guess AD is finally old enough to get irrational hate from stans. Soon he'll have his own stans, and will be getting hated on for not getting a ring. Then when he gets a ring, people will hate on him for not having 3 rings or 5 rings...or his rings will be on a "stacked team".

[iTare]

Outside of Durant and Bron all those guys were much older after 3 years. AD is comparable to Durant and Bron after 3 seasons.
Durant yes, Bron no.

[dubeta]

LOL AD will be lucky to end up as good as Hakeem.

[Milbuck]

Id take Davis all day too. But in Minny, Love literally didn't even have half the talent Davis has.
I've joked about it before, but the empty stats narrative about Love was always retarded.

Love wins 40 games in a historically tough conference with his front court partner Pekovic missing almost 30 games, and his point guard Rubio struggling to shoot 40% and score double digit points a game....while on his own putting up 26/13/4/1/1 on 59% TS with 26.9 PER and a net on/off of +10.9....

And there's people questioning whether he's a top 5 PF or not :oldlol:

If Pekovic doesn't miss 28 games and you give Love just ONE player on the perimeter who can consistently and reliably create his own offense, say someone like Afflalo, is there any doubt he wins 48-52+ games?

I mean the dude is going out to battle with a PG that can't shoot and a center that can't stay healthy...in a conference with cores of Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka, CP3/Blake/Jordan/Crawford, Parker/Ginobili/Duncan/Leonard, Aldridge/Lillard/Batum, Curry/Thompson/Iggy/Lee, Howard/Harden/Parsons, Gasol/Zbo/Conley, etc. What the **** should we have realistically expected from those Twolves teams?His defense is crap but that doesn't mean his game can't be impactful in the right situation. Problem is he's either had wack or unreliable talent in Minny, or is in a situation where his flaws are highlighted and his strengths aren't utilized correctly..like in Cleveland now. You build properly around Love, and you have a solid to good #1 option or a legit championship caliber #2.

[ralph_i_el]

I've joked about it before, but the empty stats narrative about Love was always retarded.
His defense is crap but that doesn't mean his game can't be impactful in the right situation. Problem is he's either had wack or unreliable talent in Minny, or is in a situation where his flaws are highlighted and his strengths aren't utilized correctly..like in Cleveland now. You build properly around Love, and you have a solid to good #1 option or a legit championship caliber #2.

Exactly

[imdaman99]

You build properly around Love, and you have a solid to good #1 option or a legit championship caliber #2.
I know you didn't say he could but I don't think Love could win a championship as the #1, but #2 is not out of the question. And to be fair I feel the same about the guy who shut it down for the Knicks this season as well.

[Bless Mathews]

Kevin Love's stats are empty because he plays on one half of the floor. AD dominates both.

SLAYED

[PleezeBelieve]

Love should be a #2 option in Cleveland.

Cavs would be better and Love would be more appreciated.

Instead Cavs are going waste a year masquerading a shoot first PG as their #2, only to beg Love to come back and promise him the role he should have always had.

[Im Still Ballin]

Davis is a PF lets remember this

He couldn't guard Demarcus last night they had to put Asik on him

[navy]

Love should be a #2 option in Cleveland.

Cavs would be better and Love would be more appreciated.

Instead Cavs are going waste a year masquerading a shoot first PG as their #2, only to beg Love to come back and promise him the role he should have always had.
You say this after Kyrie dropped 55 points with Lebron James sitting out and watching Kevin Love get abused by Lamarcus Aldridge? :biggums:

[Milbuck]

I know you didn't say he could but I don't think Love could win a championship as the #1, but #2 is not out of the question. And to be fair I feel the same about the guy who shut it down for the Knicks this season as well.
Building a championship squad w/ Love as your #2 is not difficult at all imo, considering how good a #1 you have to have for him to be that clear-cut #2.

For 1st option..again it really depends on what team you build around him, what coaching, what style of play you preach, etc. I don't see how a team could do it with Kawhi or Chauncey as their #1 but not Love. It would take extremely smart building and coaching but you could contend Love as your top guy. Build a team filled with defensive players and shooters, with a big, high level rim protecting C like a healthy Bogut or a younger Chandler..give him a coach like Thibs to really preach toughness/defense to hide Love's weaknesses, and run your entire offense around Love with shooters around him..maybe give him a quality PG who can handle the ball and make/take difficult shots during clutch situations, like Conley or Lowry...and you could at least contend. And I don't think that's stacking the deck either, it's really no more talent/help than what's in (healthy) Chicago, Cleveland, healthy OKC, SA, GS, etc. Just evening out the playing field.

[Siemens]

lol at anthony davis being underrated

He's rated fine.

Agreed. Everybody knows he has the "potential" to be top 10. He also got a lot of MVP talk for a guy headed towards the lottery.

[navy]

Building a championship squad w/ Love as your #2 is not difficult at all imo, considering how good a #1 you have to have for him to be that clear-cut #2.

For 1st option..again it really depends on what team you build around him, what coaching, what style of play you preach, etc. I don't see how a team could do it with Kawhi or Chauncey as their #1 but not Love. It would take extremely smart building and coaching but you could contend Love as your top guy. Build a team filled with defensive players and shooters, with a big, high level rim protecting C like a healthy Bogut or a younger Chandler..give him a coach like Thibs to really preach toughness/defense to hide Love's weaknesses, and run your entire offense around Love with shooters around him..maybe give him a quality PG who can handle the ball and make/take difficult shots during clutch situations, like Conley or Lowry...and you could at least contend. And I don't think that's stacking the deck either, it's really no more talent/help than what's in (healthy) Chicago, Cleveland, healthy OKC, SA, GS, etc. Just evening out the playing field.
Kawhi didnt even lead his team in scoring in any round of the playoffs, im not sure how you consider him being the number 1. Chauncey played on a more balanced defensive team, where he just happened to be the best scorer. In fact Rip Hamilton had more points than him in the finals.

In any case, you could make a scenario for any reasonable talent to a number 1 or number 2 and be contender.

[Milbuck]

Kawhi didnt even lead his team in scoring in any round of the playoffs, im not sure how you consider him being the number 1. Chauncey played on a more balanced defensive team, where he just happened to be the best scorer. In fact Rip Hamilton had more points than him in the finals....
Kawhi was easily his team's best player in the finals, they started blowing out Miami as soon as he stepped his game up from role player to star. And Parker leading his team in scoring means absolutely nothing, everyone knew who was the best player in a Spurs jersey...and it was only a .2ppg difference anyways, with over a 20% difference in TS% in Kawhi's favor. Not that Kawhi's game is built on scoring anyways, like Parker's is.

And you're just proving my point with the Chauncey argument. You can win with weaker first options if you have balanced, well constructed teams around them. And Love isn't even a weak first option, he's a legitimate all-star and elite player when he's healthy and allowed to play his game 100%.

[navy]

Kawhi was easily his team's best player in the finals, they started blowing out Miami as soon as he stepped his game up from role player to star. And Parker leading his team in scoring means absolutely nothing, everyone knew who was the best player in a Spurs jersey...and it was only a .2ppg difference anyways, with over a 20% difference in TS% in Kawhi's favor. Not that Kawhi's game is built on scoring anyways, like Parker's is.

And you're just proving my point with the Chauncey argument. You can win with weaker first options if you have balanced, well constructed teams around them. And Love isn't even a weak first option, he's a legitimate all-star and elite player when he's healthy and allowed to play his game 100%.

I didnt say he wasnt the best player in the finals, but to call him the number 1 on that Spurs team is just wrong. Especially if you take the entire playoffs into account.

Well, I edited my post. You can win with any reasonable talent on a well constructed team. As far as the likelihood of Love ever leading a team all the way as the number one? Yeah, probably not gonna happen. Better players havent done the same.

[Sarcastic]

Way too early to bring up even top 30 all time for him. 20/10 on good efficiency is not enough to crack the list. He needs awards and rings, and lots of them to be mentioned in top 10 talk. Not saying hr won't get it, but it's a long way off. Lot's can happen in between. Durant was looking to be a lock for top 20 at least, but now he injured his foot, and his future is in question.

[chocolatethunder]

I've joked about it before, but the empty stats narrative about Love was always retarded.
His defense is crap but that doesn't mean his game can't be impactful in the right situation. Problem is he's either had wack or unreliable talent in Minny, or is in a situation where his flaws are highlighted and his strengths aren't utilized correctly..like in Cleveland now. You build properly around Love, and you have a solid to good #1 option or a legit championship caliber #2.
Agreed.

Not to mention, Cleveland just doesn't utilize him properly. He's not a good fit w Irving and Bron because those guys control the ball all the time and neither are good at finding him in his spots. I'm not blaming them or taking anything away from their games, I'm saying that they don't really need what he brings to their team.

[LAZERUSS]

Way too early to bring up even top 30 all time for him. 20/10 on good efficiency is not enough to crack the list. He needs awards and rings, and lots of them to be mentioned in top 10 talk. Not saying hr won't get it, but it's a long way off. Lot's can happen in between. Durant was looking to be a lock for top 20 at least, but now he injured his foot, and his future is in question.

Excellent points, as always.

McAdoo led the league in scoring from his second year thru his fourth. He also finished 2nd, 1st, and 2nd in the MVP voting in those three years, as well. And he had a prodigious seven game series against Wes Unseld in the '75 post-season...37.4 ppg and 13.4 rpg, which included a 50 point game.

BTW, for those that would claim his scoring was "inflated"...

In his 74-75 season, he played 43.2 mpg, and averaged 34.5 ppg on a .512 FG% (and an .805 FT%)...in a league that averaged 102.6 ppg on a .457 eFG%.

Clearly, he was on his way to a Top-10 career when his body started failing him...

[StrongLurk]

All the posters talking about potential injuries. I clearly put a disclaimer in my post about staying healthy. And yes 20/10 is impressive from age 19-22 considering that he is topping out this year at crazy numbers and he might break the modern day PER record.

Seriously, if he was drafted in Duncan's position with the Spurs (3 years younger by the way), he would be on the exact path as Duncan.

[yobore]

imo, this thread proves the OP's point. If he was in a bigger market he'd be the one of the biggest stories. He can be better than Lebron

[StrongLurk]

Put up 28/9/5/2/1 with 0 turnovers tonight.

In 36mpg, he is averaging 25/10/2/3/1.5 on 54 percent and 81 percent from free throws this season while turning the ball over only 1.4 times a game :bowdown:.

Super efficient and dominant on both ends of the floor. 22 years old.

[sp6r=underrated]

Through 3 seasons - Age 21.

Averages 20/10 with 2.5 blocks and 1.5 steals on 53 percent shooting in only 33 mpg. Already over 80 percent free throw shooter which is major for a big man and has an elite midrange jump shot.

119 offensive rating/103 defensive rating. Career PER of 26.6 - Topping out at 31.14 PER as of now with a chance to break the modern day per record.

If this dude gets out of New Orleans and gets an elite team around him with a solid coach, he is easily gonna get a couple championships and MVP's as long as he stays healthy.

I'm actually surprised at how good he is already, even with him coming into the league pretty hyped on. Most likely will be the best player in the league in 3 years at 24 years old. Same as Lebron did in 08-09.

You're underselling it by stating he only has top 10 potential. He is the first player since Lebron to enter the NBA who has the possibility of entering the GOAT conversation. It is highly unlikely he'll get there but the ceiling is off for him

[StrongLurk]

Anthony Davis averaged 27.9pts - 11.2rebs - 4.1blks - 3.6 ast - 1.4stls in March. Monster!