Comparing a new breed of big -- Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/13623448/nba-comparing-new-breed-west-bigs-karl-anthony-towns-anthony-davis
Saw this on Rube Chat too
Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
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bleedspeed
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Re: Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
The heir apparent to the title of "Best Player in the World" plays in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Anthony Davis is a 6-foot-11 big man from the University of Kentucky, where he experienced great success in his lone season in Lexington and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2012 NBA draft. Freakishly long, his style of play defies his size at times, as his basketball naissance started on the perimeter before transitioning to the interior, and defensively he's got the potential to anchor a top-5 defense for years to come.
Most feel it's only a matter of time before the 22-year-old Davis ditches the heir apparent label and assumes the mantle of king.
However, follow the Mississippi River approximately 1,200 miles north and you'll find a similar story playing out.
Karl-Anthony Towns is also a 6-11 big man from UK who was successful in one season in Lexington, and parlayed that into being the first overall pick in the 2015 draft. Like Davis, the 19-year-old Towns also started on the perimeter before playing the interior and has the potential to anchor a top-5 defense.
So is Towns the heir apparent...to the heir apparent?
Scouting Davis
As a high schooler, Davis was a lightly recruited player until he experienced a massive growth spurt that took him from unheralded point guard prospect to blue chip center. The early experience as a guard manifests itself in Davis' game, as his agility on the perimeter gives him a tremendous advantage on both ends of the floor.
Defensively, his extraordinary length allows him to defend a wide variety of talents, conjuring memories of another Chicago native -- a young Kevin Garnett -- playing the top of zone defenses for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Davis' athletic gifts allow him to simultaneously play the passing lanes and protect the rim at the highest level. Indeed, he led the NBA in combined blocks and steals per game (he led the league in blocks and was 30th overall in steals, a ranking that will certainly rise each season).
On the other end of the floor, Davis takes advantage of his matchups by going around or over. His background as a guard gives him enough handle to beat defenders off the dribble, and if he can't, he will rise up and shoot over them for a nearly unblockable jumper.
Indeed, one of New Orleans' favored set plays after timeouts was getting the ball to Davis at the elbow and then spreading the floor to allow him to get on an island versus his opponent. Despite his high usage (approaching 28 percent), he remarkably turned the ball over on less than seven percent of his possessions (second lowest in the league behind only Al Jefferson).
But the reality is, he's only scratching the surface, and the expectation is with a new coaching staff, Davis will be able to take his talents to the NBA's upper echelon. New head coach Alvin Gentry's playbook will bring heavy elements from Golden State and Phoenix, utilizing dribble hand-offs and big-to-big pick-and-rolls to take advantage of Davis' gifts.
Anthony Davis is a 6-foot-11 big man from the University of Kentucky, where he experienced great success in his lone season in Lexington and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2012 NBA draft. Freakishly long, his style of play defies his size at times, as his basketball naissance started on the perimeter before transitioning to the interior, and defensively he's got the potential to anchor a top-5 defense for years to come.
Most feel it's only a matter of time before the 22-year-old Davis ditches the heir apparent label and assumes the mantle of king.
However, follow the Mississippi River approximately 1,200 miles north and you'll find a similar story playing out.
Karl-Anthony Towns is also a 6-11 big man from UK who was successful in one season in Lexington, and parlayed that into being the first overall pick in the 2015 draft. Like Davis, the 19-year-old Towns also started on the perimeter before playing the interior and has the potential to anchor a top-5 defense.
So is Towns the heir apparent...to the heir apparent?
Scouting Davis
As a high schooler, Davis was a lightly recruited player until he experienced a massive growth spurt that took him from unheralded point guard prospect to blue chip center. The early experience as a guard manifests itself in Davis' game, as his agility on the perimeter gives him a tremendous advantage on both ends of the floor.
Defensively, his extraordinary length allows him to defend a wide variety of talents, conjuring memories of another Chicago native -- a young Kevin Garnett -- playing the top of zone defenses for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Davis' athletic gifts allow him to simultaneously play the passing lanes and protect the rim at the highest level. Indeed, he led the NBA in combined blocks and steals per game (he led the league in blocks and was 30th overall in steals, a ranking that will certainly rise each season).
On the other end of the floor, Davis takes advantage of his matchups by going around or over. His background as a guard gives him enough handle to beat defenders off the dribble, and if he can't, he will rise up and shoot over them for a nearly unblockable jumper.
Indeed, one of New Orleans' favored set plays after timeouts was getting the ball to Davis at the elbow and then spreading the floor to allow him to get on an island versus his opponent. Despite his high usage (approaching 28 percent), he remarkably turned the ball over on less than seven percent of his possessions (second lowest in the league behind only Al Jefferson).
But the reality is, he's only scratching the surface, and the expectation is with a new coaching staff, Davis will be able to take his talents to the NBA's upper echelon. New head coach Alvin Gentry's playbook will bring heavy elements from Golden State and Phoenix, utilizing dribble hand-offs and big-to-big pick-and-rolls to take advantage of Davis' gifts.
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bleedspeed
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Re: Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
Here's an example of Davis' perimeter versatility: In the screenshot above, Davis has received the ball in an ATO situation from a side out-of-bounds inbound. On the strong side, the inbounder sets a stagger screen for the shooter in the corner before slipping to the basket, but that's all action designed to keep the defense preoccupied and keep the floor spaced for Davis, who inside pivots and rips to his strong hand, driving right to the basket and finishing.
Without significant help defense rotating, the defender has no chance to stop Davis; even if he gave himself some cushion and dropped back off him, Davis has a ton of space to make the free throw line jumper.
Scouting Towns
By contrast, Towns always has been a big man, and was always a blue-chip prospect in high school. A dominant rebounder on both ends, he's a savvy shot blocker and rim protector. His pick-and-roll defense can get better, but that doesn't seem to be a major obstacle for a player who's demonstrated above average basketball IQ and ability.
He doesn't quite have the agility or athleticism of Davis, but like Davis, his teeth were cut mostly on the perimeter during his prep school years. In fact, one high school talent evaluator told me they couldn't get Towns to play around the rim at all due to his preoccupation with playing on the perimeter.
In a way, going to Kentucky was the best thing to happen to Towns, as John Calipari's team boasted an embarrassment of riches on the perimeter talent and forced Towns to play more consistently on the interior. This further developed Towns' versatility. Now Towns has a more complete arsenal, and his ability to step away and hit a face-up jumper out of pick and pops. At this stage, he lacks the capacity to beat defenders consistently off the dribble like Davis, but the desired effect still is in place: keeping the floor spaced and the paint vacant, alleviating traffic under the rim.
Davis vs Towns
The reality is, for all their similarities, right now Towns is a mere sketch compared to the full oil painting that is Davis.
Part of what makes Davis so special and puts him in the NBA's upper echelon is his hybrid of true perimeter skill (not just shooting) with big-man impact. Right now Towns is much closer to the big man end of the spectrum, which obviously isn't a knock on him, but it does carry a certain amount of limitation.
It's both difficult and unfair to anoint Towns as anything more than what he is -- a franchise cornerstone, which is no small compliment. However, both he and Davis are part of a new wave of bigs across the Western Conference signaling the shift in basketball philosophy.
From Draymond Green to Serge Ibaka to even a player like Boris Diaw, the need for versatility in the frontline is imperative in the modern game. That doesn't just mean being effective on catch-and-shoot situations offensively, but also being able to hold your own on the defensive end.
In that sense, Towns can be the heir apparent; maybe not as the best player on the planet, but as a premier big who gives his team a wider array of construction options for supporting cast.
Without significant help defense rotating, the defender has no chance to stop Davis; even if he gave himself some cushion and dropped back off him, Davis has a ton of space to make the free throw line jumper.
Scouting Towns
By contrast, Towns always has been a big man, and was always a blue-chip prospect in high school. A dominant rebounder on both ends, he's a savvy shot blocker and rim protector. His pick-and-roll defense can get better, but that doesn't seem to be a major obstacle for a player who's demonstrated above average basketball IQ and ability.
He doesn't quite have the agility or athleticism of Davis, but like Davis, his teeth were cut mostly on the perimeter during his prep school years. In fact, one high school talent evaluator told me they couldn't get Towns to play around the rim at all due to his preoccupation with playing on the perimeter.
In a way, going to Kentucky was the best thing to happen to Towns, as John Calipari's team boasted an embarrassment of riches on the perimeter talent and forced Towns to play more consistently on the interior. This further developed Towns' versatility. Now Towns has a more complete arsenal, and his ability to step away and hit a face-up jumper out of pick and pops. At this stage, he lacks the capacity to beat defenders consistently off the dribble like Davis, but the desired effect still is in place: keeping the floor spaced and the paint vacant, alleviating traffic under the rim.
Davis vs Towns
The reality is, for all their similarities, right now Towns is a mere sketch compared to the full oil painting that is Davis.
Part of what makes Davis so special and puts him in the NBA's upper echelon is his hybrid of true perimeter skill (not just shooting) with big-man impact. Right now Towns is much closer to the big man end of the spectrum, which obviously isn't a knock on him, but it does carry a certain amount of limitation.
It's both difficult and unfair to anoint Towns as anything more than what he is -- a franchise cornerstone, which is no small compliment. However, both he and Davis are part of a new wave of bigs across the Western Conference signaling the shift in basketball philosophy.
From Draymond Green to Serge Ibaka to even a player like Boris Diaw, the need for versatility in the frontline is imperative in the modern game. That doesn't just mean being effective on catch-and-shoot situations offensively, but also being able to hold your own on the defensive end.
In that sense, Towns can be the heir apparent; maybe not as the best player on the planet, but as a premier big who gives his team a wider array of construction options for supporting cast.
Re: Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
Great analysis. I think the comparison is spot on.
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bleedspeed
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Re: Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
After reading it I came away thinking AD is more like KG and Towns is more like Duncan.
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BizarroJerry [enjin:6592520]
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Re: Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
Big KAT will be the new fundamental.
Re: Anthony Davis vs. Karl-Anthony Towns
bleedspeed177 wrote:After reading it I came away thinking AD is more like KG and Towns is more like Duncan.
Yeah I've had the thought of Towns being sort of a Duncan type guy for a while.