Body Size
Davis has a wingspan that reaches over 7'6" and it's his biggest strength. The Dream also had outstanding length and reach, which makes the two similar in stature.
As for muscle, Olajuwon came into the league bigger and more NBA-ready, but also remember that he was 21 years old and Davis is only 19. Olajuwon ended up weighing over 250 pounds after he added muscle throughout his NBA career. Davis will be entering the draft at around 220 pounds.
He's going to have to add some muscle to that slender frame.
Both guys have superb athleticism on their side. Olajuwon had the agility of a guard and could handle the ball like one, part of the reason why he was so dangerous.
Davis on the other hand, was a 6'3" guard just two seasons ago before a sudden growth spurt turned him into a beast of a defender. Watching him play, he's as smooth and fluid of a pure athlete as we've seen in the college game in quite some time.
Defensive Ability
I will start with defense because the two are extremely comparable. Olajuwon could block anyone's shot at anytime and wasn't afraid to muscle up any opponent. Watching Olajuwon's gifts defensively, his greatest asset may have been his mind as he often seemed to out-think his opponent as if it were a chess game.
Sure Davis needs to add muscle, but he has the potential to be an outstanding defensive big man. He has that rare package of speed and athleticism to go along with his length and explosiveness that could make him one of the better shot-blockers the NBA has ever seen.
Here's a look at the scouting report from scout Adam Ganeles (via NBADraft.net) as it relates to the potential of Davis as a defensive player.
Davis is a game wrecking defensive presence and disruptor unlike any incoming draft prospect in quite some time (4.8 BPG) ... He combines the physical shot blocking package of a 7’6 wingspan and quick leaping ability with a relentless motor and high-level defensive intelligence ... In addition to his length, the speed at which he chews up ground allows him to affect shots all over the court ... He has phenomenal recovery speed and can cover up the defensive blemishes of teammates ... Single-handedly suffocates opponents physically and mentally, as they know all attempts within his vicinity will be heavily contested at minimum ..
Inside Scoring
Olajuwon didn't have one flaw in his game and he was just as good offensively as he was on the defensive end. He shot over 51 percent from the floor for his entire career. He had a stunning array of post moves to go along with a devastating baby hook that he could shoot with either hand. If you wanted to create the perfect post player, it was Olajuwon.
Looking at Davis, some feel he doesn't have an offensive game, but nothing can be further from the truth. He shot over 63 percent from the floor as a freshman, so he has a soft touch around the rim and is a more explosive finisher than even a guy like Olajuwon.
Footwork is a strength of both men as Davis has advanced fundamentals for a 19-year-old. He will have to continue to develop his post moves to succeed at the NBA level, but the foundation is already there.
Here's a look at Ganeles' take on Davis as an offensive player:
Not afraid to mix it up on the interior despite his frail build ... Highly efficient offensive weapon (13.8 PPG, 65% FG) ... Predominantly an off-the ball target, cleaning up on alley-oops both off the pick and roll and dribble hands offs ..While not necessarily a power finisher, his explosiveness of the deck is effortless ... Capable of mid-air body adjustments on errant passes ... Displays the body control to hang and alter release to finish through a bump ... His jump shot form is aesthetically pleasing (71% FT), and its effectiveness certainly can be cultivated with work and experience ... Shows glimpses of pick and pop aptitude .
Outside Scoring
Davis has a smooth looking jumper that could turn into a weapon in the NBA, but The Dream had a simply unstoppable fadeaway.
Davis could become a guy with pretty decent range, but I don't see him, or anyone else for that matter, ever developing a near unstoppable go-to move such as Olajuwon's fadeaway.
Rebounding
A strength for both guys as Olajuwon was one of the better fundamentally good rebounders I've ever seen.
The difference between the two is that Olajuwon used his head along with great strength and positioning to become a great rebounder.
Davis on the other hand, just utilizes his freakish gifts as he can explode off the ground. He's extremely solid at crashing the offensive glass and keeping plays alive.
Passing/Ball Handling/Hands
I grouped all these traits into one and again, both are somewhat comparable. But if I had to give Davis an edge in one area it may be here.
He's outstanding at firing outlet passes quickly and accurately and has the hands and the length to catch almost any pass thrown to him. Also being a former guard, Davis handles the ball very well for a big man.
Olajuwon was similar and had very good hands. If I had to criticize any part of his game it would be his ball-handling as he averaged 3.0 turnovers throughout his career, but that would be nothing but nitpicking.
This is by no means to compare Davis to Olajuwon nor is it to suggest that the two will finish with similar NBA careers. It just illustrates the fact that the comparisons between the two based on their skill sets may not be as far off as people think.
Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 11197 Location: The Other Perspective
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 4:41 am Post subject:
Dream's footwork was on another level. His strength and toughness were also incredible. Undersized but banged with some of the best 5s of all time including Shaq. _________________ "Chick lived and breathed Lakers basketball…but he was also fair and objective and called every game the way it was played."
-from Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Knew Him
Olajuwon was like Kobe, Jordan, and (yes) Harden, in that he was always looking to add something new to his game. He didn't come out of college with all of those moves. I remember him well from his days at U of H, given that I am a Rice alumnus and we played the Cougars regularly. Back in those days, Olajuwon was more like Dwight Howard or the late Darryl Dawkins -- a hyper-athletic big man with limited offensive skills. He could jump through the roof, but he was more of a freak than a basketball player. I used to get a kick out of watching him, even though he was on the other team. (This was before the team turned into Phi Slamma Jamma.)
When he got to the NBA, he added to his game year after year. He didn't start off with that fadeaway jumper or the dream shake or the bullet passes to the three point line. This was all stuff that he added to his game.
There aren't many NBA players who have the drive to reinvent themselves like that. I just don't see Anthony Davis as that kind of player. It would be great if he turns out to have that sort of drive, but there is nothing wrong with him if he doesn't.
Olajuwon was like Kobe, Jordan, and (yes) Harden, in that he was always looking to add something new to his game. He didn't come out of college with all of those moves. I remember him well from his days at U of H, given that I am a Rice alumnus and we played the Cougars regularly. Back in those days, Olajuwon was more like Dwight Howard or the late Darryl Dawkins -- a hyper-athletic big man with limited offensive skills. He could jump through the roof, but he was more of a freak than a basketball player. I used to get a kick out of watching him, even though he was on the other team. (This was before the team turned into Phi Slamma Jamma.)
When he got to the NBA, he added to his game year after year. He didn't start off with that fadeaway jumper or the dream shake or the bullet passes to the three point line. This was all stuff that he added to his game.
There aren't many NBA players who have the drive to reinvent themselves like that. I just don't see Anthony Davis as that kind of player. It would be great if he turns out to have that sort of drive, but there is nothing wrong with him if he doesn't.
One of the things I'm always harping on is that AD added ball handling to his game recently. And in reality, all the talk of his ball handling being great before this past season, because he was a guard in high school(a lot of bigs handled the ball in HS) was just reputation..
here he is talking about adding ball handling to his game - he says he could always do it , but he didn't have the confidence to do it in games... which is exactly what I thought.. he had the reputation and flashed the skill very minimally before last year, because of confidence, which is the main reason imo why every NBA player can handle the ball outside of games doing crazy drills, but not in games.
This past season, yes, his ball handling was super impressive. But I always argue that before that, he rarely used it(he needed a PG to set him up, and he operated on the elbow..and rarely grab & go'd) and that's what he said.
If you put AD with Otis Thorpe/Vernon Maxwell/Kenny Smith/Robert Horry could he win a title?
I don't think so.
Agreed to a certain extent. Hakeem was THE best player in the NBA after Jordan left the first time and it wasnt even close. That said, you take the Davis now and transport him to the 1993-1994 season, I dont think Davis falls that far short. Its just that Dream dominated his peers to a noticeably better degree than Davis did with his peers.
Im one of the few that thinks the Rockets would have beaten the Bulls had MJ played the 1994 season. Dream absolutely destroyed the Bulls centers and Maxwell was the perfect mix of crazy and streakiness to not be intimidated by Jordan (Im pretty sure Vernon Maxwell was one of the very few to truly not be intimidated by Jordan at all and in fact I think Jordan would be scared Mad Max will do something crazy to pick a fight with him if things really arent going Maxwells way). Thorpe was the perfect foil to Grant and a young Horry on defense could matchup with Pippen better than most out on the wing. That Rockets team had the toughness, smarts and talent to beat Chicago
Last edited by x75274 on Tue Aug 27, 2019 11:36 am; edited 2 times in total
I do think that AD working with Hakeem would be amazing for his game. He's so agile and such a good ball handler, that connecting the dribble to a postup/ footwork , would really help him get open short range shots and layups
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Posts: 22734 Location: La Jolla, San Diego
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 4:03 pm Post subject:
panamaniac wrote:
kwase wrote:
Hakeem is a top 10 player of all time. Let's not get carried away.
Top 20. Let's not get carried away.
I don't go with the usual picking of Wilt or Russell just to pay homage. I see highlights of them, and their competition and I'm not impressed. Kareem and Hakeem to me are the top two all-time centers. If we want to put Hakeem at PF, we can do that, and he and Duncan would be the top 2 PF of all time. Point is, he makes my top 10 when I'm creating two 5 man squads. And for some reason if he doesn't get into any of the first 2 squads. He definitely takes the 11 or 12th spot on a my all time 12 man roster. Top 10 is not getting carried away.
Too late it was the first post to respond to this thread.
That being said its a pretty ridiculous comparison considering Hakeem's resume is finished and AD's is not even halfway.
Too late it was the first post to respond to this thread.
That being said its a pretty ridiculous comparison considering Hakeem's resume is finished and AD's is not even halfway.
Joined: 03 Oct 2003 Posts: 8288 Location: Santa Monica
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2019 9:21 pm Post subject:
AD doesn't have Hakeem's post game or footwork (yet).
For AD to stay dominant into his mid 30s when he starts losing his speed, hops and quickness, he'll need to develop a great low post game. I really hope he does, provided he's still a Laker. _________________ Lakers 49ers Chargers Dodgers
Hakeem is a top 10 player of all time. Let's not get carried away.
Top 20. Let's not get carried away.
For me personally, Hakeem was/is the best center I've ever seen play. Wilt/Shaq were dominant for their size, Kareem had his hook shot, but there has never been center that had the full package of attacking skills and naturally learned/applied techniques like the Dream did (he was pretty much the MJ of centers on offense)... and then you add in his defense? Hah, he goes straight into any "best ever starting 5" I make.
Magic
Jordan
LeGramps or Bird
Duncan
Hakeem
or how about an uber attacking 5 with no PG?
Kobe
Jordan
McGrady
PF (LeGramps or Durant or Duncan or even Bird, don't really care)
Hakeem
I like this latter one a lot because it has 4 of my favorite players ever, all of whom were just naturally gifted with that special something that allowed them to make everything look easy and smooth, capable of making adjustments to moves on the fly with nothing pre-meditated... unlike some of others (LeGramps and Durant) who had to learn how to do those same things over many years after turning professional.
Last edited by LAL1947 on Wed Aug 28, 2019 10:05 am; edited 8 times in total
All times are GMT - 8 Hours Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8Next
Page 1 of 8
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum