Anthony Davis: What's his ceiling?

Remember, I'm asking all these questions about coaching on a thread about how far the NBA career of a college freshman might go.

The responses make it sound as if he'll receive whatever 'coaching' Darwin's laws of adaptation provide, but no more. Which seems odd to me at a time when basketball stars represent huge speculative investments for club owners.

Thus disabused of my starry-eyed optimism, I now assume the D league isn't really a teaching tool either.

So no coaching at any level is the new model for basketball?

 

I don't know that it's all that new. I never got the feeling Tarkanian did anything but suck on that towel, and his teams were pretty damn good.

 

I think there are a few coaches who give the perception that they're just recruiters, who are actually pretty good coaches.

I don't care how much you cheat, if you can win at Fresno State, you must be a pretty good coach.

 

Davis was a 6-2 guard just two years ago. I'm amazed at his athletic ability for having grown that fast in such a short period of time. He's very agile and crazy athletic.

He is just beginning to tap into his potential. At the beginning of the season, he was all lobs and post ups. But later in the year, he started hitting his jumper more, he asked Cal if he could stretch his offensive game a little. And he has been taking people off the dribble a lot more towards the end of the year.

I saw 95 percent of their games, and it is amazing how much better he got throughout the year. His defense was always phenomenal, but his offense is just getting going. I'd say all-star year after year once he gets going.

He does need to bulk up, but he's got a real wide frame and can add some bulk. Plus, he just turned 19. Camby may be one of the best comparisons, but his offense is better than Camby's.

Definitely not a Duncan, or any kind of power player, though. He's all athleticism and timing.

 

Not quite the case will all of them, and Davis went to an academic high school. I'm definitely not a UK apologist, but that's a generalization. Some of the others, I'll give you probably aren't in the front of the class, or even in it, a lot of the time. But I'd say Davis isn't one of them.

Brandon Knight left UK after one year and had 60 credit hours carried over from high school. That kid was crazy smart.

 

We can debate all day about which level has the better coaches, and it might be best for players to never set foot in college. I don't think so, but there are two things college can do for a basketball player.

1. Playing road conference games in front of passionate crowds is something that the NBA cannot duplicate until the playoffs. And even then, it might not be the same. So the ability to actually know what real pressure feels like, pressure that cannot be simulated in practice or the NBA regular season for 90% of NBA teams, to me, is an advantage for college.

2. The knees of a basketball player only have so many minutes in them, and going straight to the NBA for 80 and 48 instead of 38 and 40 could shorten the competitive playing career (NBA and college) of a basketball player.

And it could be up for debate, but a year of college might have gotten James away from some of the bums that told him South Beach was a good idea.

 

Your second point reinforces why a player should go pro as soon as possible

 

Stern was hinting at raising the minimum age to 20. I don't think that would be a bad thing at all.

I'm not a David Stern fan on any level, but the minimum age thing has been very successful, IMO. I'd rather have one and dones in the college game than guys who go pro straight out of high school who aren't ready.

 

Well I'm glad YOU would rather have it. Really, that is all that matters. Fuck the kids who could be earning millions, entertain us for free in college.

 

Yup, lots of paternalistic bullshit right there.

 

Stern is drunk with power. Sooner or later, he'll generate the massive lawsuit loss he appears to be gunning for -- one that could take the NCAA down with him. Without the tournament, they wouldn't have money for paper clips. If some court ever ruled the NCAA is a business, look out below.
This issue has been litigated, many many years ago. Courts have quite specifically ruled that there are limits to what restrictions collective bargaining agreements can place on individuals. The NBA has franchises in a number of right to work states. Just sayin'

 

I have honestly never seen him play, but from what I read, he sounds like a thinner Mourning.