Although ranking the top 30 NBA players in today’s game is an incredibly difficult task, The Last Word on Pro Basketball staff has taken it on. Coming in at number seven in the countdown is Los Angeles Lakers’ power forward Anthony Davis.
Top 30 NBA Players
Number 7 – Anthony Davis
The Chicago native began his basketball career as a member of the Kentucky Wildcats from 2011-12. In one season with the team, he averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 62 percent from the field. He quickly gained popularity for his size and athleticism, and well as for his unibrow. Davis was drafted first overall in the 2012 Draft by the then New Orleans Hornets. He played in New Orleans for seven seasons and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019.
Strengths
Anthony Davis is one player that possesses an amazing defensive vision. His long arms and height make him an elite shot blocker and rebounder. This season Davis averages 2.4 blocks and 9.4 rebounds per game. His defensive contributions currently make the Lakers the number one team in blocks and eighth in rebounding.
In addition to the defensive strengths, Davis has also improved offensively, especially from the perimeter. Averaging 26.7 points per game, he is shooting 33 percent from three-point range and 55 percent from mid-range.
Weaknesses
Although Davis is an explosive defensive disruptor for many teams, he does not have an established post-up ability in his game. There’s no doubt that Davis is capable of towering over players for a block or a dunk. But when it comes to the traditional playmaking abilities of a big man, he rarely plays with his back to the basket.
Considering that the big man’s role has significantly changed due to the league being fast-paced, there isn’t a dire need for him to constantly post-up. However, in situations where the Lakers compete against teams with a “blue-collar” style of play, Davis could be in a tough spot where he’s forced to post-up.
Strength is also an area that Davis lacks in. Again, when he’s in a situation where he has to play with his back against a player, he could be outplayed many times, which could cost the Lakers opportunities to score.
Career Accolades
Throughout his college and NBA career, Anthony Davis has been at the top of many leaderboards and has won several prestigious awards.
In his one-and-done season with Kentucky, he led the team to an NCAA Championship title. He also won the 2011-12 AP Player of the Year award, the Naismith Award, and was on the 2011-12 All-SEC First Team.
In the NBA, Davis has led the league in blocks in the 2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons. He made the 2012-13 All-Rookie First Team, as well as made the All-Defensive and All-NBA teams, either first or second-team for two consecutive seasons from 2016-18. Furthermore, Davis has made seven consecutive All-Star appearances since his sophomore season and was awarded the All-Star Game MVP in 2017.
Last Word on Pro Basketball Top 30 NBA Players Ballots
We believe in full transparency in the top 30 NBA player rankings so we are going to disclose the ballots of our player rankings and where each contributor had each player ranked.
Tyler Marling – Site Manager – 7th
Chase Gage – Managing Editor – 7th
David Knight – Marketing Manager – 4th
Zack Kircher – Associate Editor – 8th
Matthew Waldman – Associate Editor – 5th
David Ward – Associate Editor – 6th
Avinash Chauhan – Contributor – 8th
Adam Zigner – Contributor – 5th
Albert Dadson – Contributor – 10th
Dylan Guest – Contributor – 7th
Raheem Bashir – Contributor – 7th
Nathan Levine – Contributor – 10th
Bill Huan – Contributor – 7th
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