Anthony Davis is not a top 5 player in the league yet

[SyRyanYang]

Curry, Lebron, Harden

Paul, Westbrook





Davis, LMA, Cousins, Griffin

[BlazerRed]

Lma, Lma, Lma
Lma, Lma






Lma, Lma, Lma, Lma

[kells333]

Lebron
Durant
Westbrook
Harden
Davis
Curry
Blake
Cp3
Cousins

[7secondsorless]

He's borderline top 10 IMO. Has serious durability issues. Obv an excellent defender but his offensive game is 75% mid-range jumpers. Shoots it at a good % but not dominant enough in the paint where it opens up perimeter shooting for others, and doesn't have enough range to take it out to the 3 to really space the floor and open up driving lanes for Tyreke and Gordon. He really needs to either bulk up a bit and dominate the paint or extend his shots out to the 3. He has a lot of "ball skills" which are unusual for a 4, but tbh, also unnecessary when you have decent/good guards who are going to be doing all the handling/creating anyways.
#1 issue is still his durability over an 82-game season. If he had been on the court for like 4-5 more games this year, Pels would already be locked in for at least the 8th seed.

[L.A.Showtime]

Curry, Lebron, Harden

Paul, Westbrook





Davis, LMA, Cousins, Griffin

Ridiculous.

[SyRyanYang]

He's borderline top 10 IMO. Has serious durability issues. Obv an excellent defender but his offensive game is 75% mid-range jumpers. Shoots it at a good % but not dominant enough in the paint where it opens up perimeter shooting for others, and doesn't have enough range to take it out to the 3 to really space the floor and open up driving lanes for Tyreke and Gordon. He really needs to either bulk up a bit and dominate the paint or extend his shots out to the 3. He has a lot of "ball skills" which are unusual for a 4, but tbh, also unnecessary when you have decent/good guards who are going to be doing all the handling/creating anyways.
#1 issue is still his durability over an 82-game season. If he had been on the court for like 4-5 more games this year, Pels would already be locked in for at least the 8th seed.

Disagree with the durability part. Injury happens anyone, even the most durable ones(Westbrook).
If he's borderline top 10, give me 10 players that are better.

[bobopenguin]

Pelican won't even trade Davis for lebron.

[SyRyanYang]

Pelican won't even trade Davis for lebron.
Hence why I said "yet"?:coleman:

Everyone and their mama knoWS dude has a bright future ahead of him.

[kells333]

He's borderline top 10 IMO. Has serious durability issues. Obv an excellent defender but his offensive game is 75% mid-range jumpers. Shoots it at a good % but not dominant enough in the paint where it opens up perimeter shooting for others, and doesn't have enough range to take it out to the 3 to really space the floor and open up driving lanes for Tyreke and Gordon. He really needs to either bulk up a bit and dominate the paint or extend his shots out to the 3. He has a lot of "ball skills" which are unusual for a 4, but tbh, also unnecessary when you have decent/good guards who are going to be doing all the handling/creating anyways.
#1 issue is still his durability over an 82-game season. If he had been on the court for like 4-5 more games this year, Pels would already be locked in for at least the 8th seed.

Please name 10 guys better than ad

[L.A.Showtime]

He's borderline top 10 IMO. Has serious durability issues. Obv an excellent defender but his offensive game is 75% mid-range jumpers. Shoots it at a good % but not dominant enough in the paint where it opens up perimeter shooting for others, and doesn't have enough range to take it out to the 3 to really space the floor and open up driving lanes for Tyreke and Gordon. He really needs to either bulk up a bit and dominate the paint or extend his shots out to the 3. He has a lot of "ball skills" which are unusual for a 4, but tbh, also unnecessary when you have decent/good guards who are going to be doing all the handling/creating anyways.
#1 issue is still his durability over an 82-game season. If he had been on the court for like 4-5 more games this year, Pels would already be locked in for at least the 8th seed.

Who is your regular account? No way you are legit with 50 posts in 4 years and you pop up to say shit like he is only borderline top 10.

[7secondsorless]

Disagree with the durability part. Injury happens anyone, even the most durable ones(Westbrook).
If he's borderline top 10, give me 10 players that are better.
This season: Curry, Harden, Lebron, CP3, Marc Gasol, LMA, Griffin. I think he's towards the latter 1/3 of the top 10 with Westbrook, Wall, and himself. People could also argue that Cousins and Kawhi are somewhere there (behind Davis). Not sure if I am forgetting anyone. Overall, not counting only this season, I think Lebron, Durant, CP3, Curry, Harden are currently better. He's in the next group under that with Cousins, Westbrook, Wall, LMA, Griffin, Marc Gasol, etc.

[StrongLurk]

Terrible thread, the lowest you can rank him is 4th.

[SyRyanYang]

Terrible thread, the lowest you can rank him is 4th.
Terrible post, the highest you can rank him is 6th.

[Midnite89]

a guy with 31 PER isn't a top 5 player in the league. :facepalm

how stacked is this era doe

[sd3035]

Curry
Durant
Bran
Davis/Westbrook/Kyrie







The rest

[StrongLurk]

Terrible post, the highest you can rank him is 6th.

Give me 5 better players and explain why each of those 5 players are better. And no, your main argument can't be W/L record.

Also, name ONE ACTUAL WEAKNESS in Davis' game.

[LoneyROY7]

Curry
Durant
Bran
Davis/Westbrook/Kyrie







The rest

:yaohappy:

[7secondsorless]

a guy with 31 PER isn't a top 5 player in the league. :facepalm

how stacked is this era doe
FYI, Hassan Whiteside is like 6th right now in PER...

[StrongLurk]

FYI, Hassan Whiteside is like 6th right now in PER...

The key to PER is production per minute. Obviously it measures what you do PER MINUTE. So a 25 PER at 36 minutes a game is WAY better than a 25 PER at 18 minutes a game. Davis is setting a historical PER while playing 36 minutes per game. Try better troll.

[SyRyanYang]

Give me 5 better players and explain why each of those 5 players are better. And no, your main argument can't be W/L record.

Also, name ONE ACTUAL WEAKNESS in Davis' game.

The five I listed in my OP above Davis are all better.
I'm not particularly interested in educating the uneducated, namely you, at the moment, so why don't you go watch some games instead of the boxscore.

Name one weakness?:yaohappy: :yaohappy:

[Dave3]

Yes he is. He's arguably up there with Bron/Durant. He's definitely there with Curry/Harden/Westbrook.

[Darius]

He's a top 10 player. No doubt. His defensive impact alone almost gets him there.

I was disappointed he didn't step up more in this game vs. the Rockets give its importance but he still young.

[7secondsorless]

The key to PER is production per minute. Obviously it measures what you do PER MINUTE. So a 25 PER at 36 minutes a game is WAY better than a 25 PER at 18 minutes a game. Davis is setting a historical PER while playing 36 minutes per game. Try better troll.
Understood, but if you're taking PER at face value, then you are claiming that 25 min of Whiteside is better than 25 min of CP3, LBJ, etc...which obviously is not the case.

I am not saying that AD is a shit player, I am saying that he's a borderline top 10 player, but def not top 5.

[L.A.Showtime]

:yaohappy:

He isn't with those guys, but he is right behind them.

[StrongLurk]

Understood, but if you're taking PER at face value, then you are claiming that 25 min of Whiteside is better than 25 min of CP3, LBJ, etc...which obviously is not the case.

I am not saying that AD is a shit player, I am saying that he's a borderline top 10 player, but def not top 5.

This is a fair point, but there are many other factors at play as well. The fact is Anthony Davis just had one of the most efficient overall offensive seasons in a while, along with 3 blocks, 1.5 steals and elite defense. Davis shoot's 80 percent from free throw, is a top 5 shooter from midrange according to stats, and only turns the ball over 1.3 times a game while playing 36 minutes.

You're mentally challenged if you think that is borderline top 10. He is top 5 at worst.

You also state you worry about his durability and the Pelicans would be in the playoffs if he was healthier for 4-5 more games...This is a minor point considering that his other 2 best players (Holiday and Gordan) have barely played at all over the last two years. Much worse than Davis.

LMA, Cousins, Marc Gasol and Griffin are all great, but a notch below what Davis brings to the table.

[7secondsorless]

Understood, but if you're taking PER at face value, then you are claiming that 25 min of Whiteside is better than 25 min of CP3, LBJ, etc...which obviously is not the case.

I am not saying that AD is a shit player, I am saying that he's a borderline top 10 player, but def not top 5.
Heh, also just to be clear (lest this get taken out of contest), I am talking about right now--this season. Assuming he continues improving and etc., I am sure he'll be in the top 5 conversation for many years to come, but as of now, he is not there yet.

[PsychoBe]

harden
westbrook
curry
durant
paul george
cp3
blake griffin
bran
kawhi
lma

there's the 10 better than ad.

[7secondsorless]

This is a fair point, but there are many other factors at play as well. The fact is Anthony Davis just had one of the most efficient overall offensive seasons in a while, along with 3 blocks, 1.5 steals and elite defense. Davis shoot's 80 percent from free throw, is a top 5 shooter from midrange according to stats, and only turns the ball over 1.3 times a game while playing 36 minutes.

You're mentally challenged if you think that is borderline top 10. He is top 5 at worst.

That's actually my most major critique of him (other than some durability concerns). He is an incredible mid range shooter, especially for his size, but that's the type of offense that puts the least amount of pressure on the defense. If he could stretch it out to the 3, that would force the defense to stretch and open up more driving lanes both for himself and the guards. Alternatively, if he concentrated his game much closer to the basket, it would force the defense to collapse, open up perimeter shots for his teammates, get opposing bigs in foul trouble, and highlight one of his strengths, the free throw shooting.

As he is right now, yea he's going to make all those mid range shots but it doesn't put the pressure on opposing D's to compromise their defense, nor does it open up the offense for the rest of his teammates.

No complaints about his defense tho, he's a beast on that end.

[LoneyROY7]

harden
westbrook
curry
durant
paul george
cp3
blake griffin
bran
kawhi
lma

there's the 10 better than ad.

This is ridiculous. Paul George? :biggums:

I'm the biggest Blake supporter on ISH and I'll tell you that AD has clearly outplayed him this season.

Kawhi? Dude's getting more overrated by the day.

LaMarcus? AD is a better defender and a far more efficient player.

[SyRyanYang]

He's a top 10 player. No doubt. His defensive impact alone almost gets him there.

I was disappointed he didn't step up more in this game vs. the Rockets give its importance but he still young.
His defence is overrated it's not even funny.
You watch the game and he's not a great post defender, gets bullied in the paint. He's not an elite rebounder either.
He's 12th in defensive plus minus and 15th in defensive win share.

[StrongLurk]

That's actually my most major critique of him (other than some durability concerns). He is an incredible mid range shooter, especially for his size, but that's the type of offense that puts the least amount of pressure on the defense. If he could stretch it out to the 3, that would force the defense to stretch and open up more driving lanes both for himself and the guards. Alternatively, if he concentrated his game much closer to the basket, it would force the defense to collapse, open up perimeter shots for his teammates, get opposing bigs in foul trouble, and highlight one of his strengths, the free throw shooting.

As he is right now, yea he's going to make all those mid range shots but it doesn't put the pressure on opposing D's to compromise their defense, nor does it open up the offense for the rest of his teammates.

No complaints about his defense tho, he's a beast on that end.

WAY TOO NITPICKY. Seriously. You agree he is a beast on defense, and don't dispute the fact this year he had a seriously efficient offensive season. Most elite players aren't elite TWO WAY PLAYERS, which is exactly what Davis is. None of the elite guards (Curry, Harden, Paul, Westbrook) can come close to Davis's defense, while he can at least hold his own on offense against those other guys (You do realize that Davis finished FOURTH in the league for scoring per game right?)

Anthony Davis is a top 10 offensive AND defensive player in the league, yet you say he is barely top ten overall? Utter nonsense.

[Genaro]

After Lebron and KD it goes down to personal opinions. Davis is between 3-10 along with Curry, Harden, Westbrook, LMA, Griffin, CP and Paul George.

I have him in 3rd in my list.

[7secondsorless]

WAY TOO NITPICKY. Seriously. You agree he is a beast on defense, and don't dispute the fact this year he had a seriously efficient offensive season. Most elite players aren't elite TWO WAY PLAYERS, which is exactly what Davis is. None of the elite guards (Curry, Harden, Paul, Westbrook) can come close to Davis's defense, while he can at least hold his own on offense against those other guys (You do realize that Davis finished FOURTH in the league for scoring per game right?)

I nitpick because I don't think it's smart offense. Yes, he will score 25 points a game, but I seriously believe that how you score is also important, not so much for the individual player, but for the team. Deciding how to guard the star player is what dictates opponents' gameplans. By putting pressure one way or another and forcing the opposing teams to concede something is how a star player improves the entire team's offense.

I think most teams right now are happy to let Davis score his 25-30 points a game, knowing that the way he usually scores isn't going to open up gaping holes elsewhere for other teammates to exploit. If he were to adjust just a little bit, he would drop his 25-30 but the rest of his team would have a more dynamic offense.

It's nuanced nitpick, but the topic is whether he should be currently considered a top 5 talent. This is a pretty high bar of excellence so I think it's fair to judge him by higher standards.

[Eric Cartman]

I don't have him in my top 5 either:

Lebron
Durant
Curry
Westbrook
Harden
CP3
Cousins

[Fire Colangelo]

Really.... people are still throwing around this "elite defender" crap?

His team is rated 22nd in the league in defense despite playing next to a decent defender in Omer Asik. AD gets blocks, and has good defensive potential, but that's it right now. He's jumps on fakes, and gets bullied by stronger post players. He simply isn't elite defensively yet, good yes, elite no.

Not to mention his offense is still streaky as well. He's great in transition, he's gonna get a few putbacks here and there and he's developed a nice mid range jumper. But you can't go to him when you need a bucket in the clutch, you just can't depend on a mid range jumper at the end of games (unless you're Dirk). That was KG's biggest problem, and it's what separates him from Duncan in terms of closing out games.

Dude's definitely top 5 though.

[navy]

Really.... people are still throwing around this "elite defender" crap?

His team is rated 22nd in the league in defense despite playing next to a decent defender in Omer Asik. AD gets blocks, and has good defensive potential, but that's it right now. He's jumps on fakes, and gets bullied by stronger post players. He simply isn't elite defensively yet, good yes, elite no.

Not to mention his offense is still streaky as well. He's great in transition, he's gonna get a few putbacks here and there and he's developed a nice mid range jumper. But you can't go to him when you need a bucket in the clutch, you just can't depend on a mid range jumper at the end of games (unless you're Dirk). That was KG's biggest problem, and it's what separates him from Duncan in terms of closing out games.

Dude's definitely top 5 though.
Anthony Davis is clutch mother ****er bro. You smokin.

[PsychoBe]

This is ridiculous. Paul George? :biggums:

I'm the biggest Blake supporter on ISH and I'll tell you that AD has clearly outplayed him this season.

Kawhi? Dude's getting more overrated by the day.

LaMarcus? AD is a better defender and a far more efficient player.

paul george lead his team to the ecf.....twice.

blake was a top 4 mvp candidate just last year, davis isn't even in the discussion anymore.

kawhi is the reigning fmvp.

lma scored back-to-back 40+ point games and lead his team out of the first round in the playoffs. portland is also so god awful when he's off the floor that it's ridiculous.