#1 - Wall
#2 - Turner
#3 - Favors
#4 - Cousins
#5 - Johnson
#6 - Aminu
Here's Easy Ed Davis ...
Scouting Reports
You can't teach size.
Looking at his physical profile, Davis continues to sport an outstanding frame that is still at least 2-3 years away from fully filling out. His wingspan is outstanding on top of that, and allows him to play much bigger than his size.
Ed went to the Sam Dalembert school of coordination.
He displays a strange blend of athleticism, on one hand running the floor extremely well and being fairly explosive around the rim, but on the other lacking a significant amount of fluidity and reactivity, being somewhat upright and clearly on the mechanical side. From time to time you'll see him make some extremely impressive plays, but for the most part it's difficult to describe him as being a great athlete at this point in time, at least in terms of his ability to actually utilize his athleticism.
His offense is "Hey, is my steak still breathing?" raw.
Offensively, Davis remains extremely raw, being mostly limited to finishing plays in the immediate area around the basket and having a difficult time creating his own shot. His lack of strength makes it tough for him to establish position deep in the post and finish through contact in traffic, something that forces him to settle for difficult shots outside of his comfort zone. His footwork is raw and he avoids his right hand like the plague (he's left-handed), not looking all that impressive when forced to improvise on the fly, and having a very difficult time against more physical defenders.
No killer instinct. Good thing EJ is gone.
You'd like to see him develop somewhat of a mean streak to compensate for his average skill-level, as it would make it much easier for him to get on the floor in the NBA early on in his career. That's not really the type of player he is, though.
Facing the basket, Davis has a long ways to go, as his ball-handling skills are close to non-existent and he lacks significant range on his jump-shot. He's taken only four jumpers all season long according to Synergy Sports Technology, and you can tell why for the most part when looking at the ones he did attempt.
He's a good finisher.
... he finishes well around the basket for that same reason, getting amazing extension on his jump-hook shot, being able to elevate from long vantage points, and showing excellent touch around the rim. He draws fouls at a good rate and converts on a solid 66% of his free throws.
The upside Davis possesses comes on the other end of the floor ...
Defensively and as a rebounder is where Davis shows the most potential, thanks to his rare combination of fundamentals and physical tools. He ranks as one of the best shot-blockers in college basketball, being a major presence in the paint with his terrific length and timing, and should be able to make big strides as a post-defender and rim-protector as he continues to add strength to his frame. His wingspan allows him to go well outside of his area for rebounds as well, again being very productive in this area on both ends of the floor with his 12.4 rebounds per-40 minutes pace adjusted.
... but even on D he's still "There's f'ing blood dripping off my fork!" raw.
On the downside, Davis tends to get pushed around by older and stronger players, giving up deep position in the paint at times in the process. His perimeter defense is just average, as he's mobile enough to get out and hedge screens defending the pick and roll, but is a little too upright in his stance to stay in front of big men laterally who can attack him off the dribble. Once again, the impression you get from watching him play is that he may be better suited (at least initially) for the center position rather than the power forward spot you often see him projected at.
Where do GMs rank Ed?
... every GM I spoke with still has him ranked somewhere between 4 and 10 on their Big Boards.
Ford had Davis number 2 on his board to start the season.
Davis began the season ranked No. 2 on our board but hasn't had the coming-out party we expected.
Ed Davis on Twitter
Comparisons
DX: Best case - Al Horford
Worst case - More physically gifted Udonis Haslem
NBADraft.net - P.J. Brown
YouTube
Ed Davis dunks over little kid
My take:
I go back and forth with Ed Davis daily. Some days I love him, other days I don't. He's essentially a poor man's Derrick Favors. They're both athletic big men prospects with a ton of potential, they both had disappointing seasons, and they're both hard to evaluate because they played with terrible guards. Davis has a little less potential on both ends. He's a little less skilled, a little older, a little weaker, and a little smaller. Unfortunately there's a big drop-off from the first/second big man prospect to the third/fourth.
How would Davis fit with the Sixers? Well, he'd probably come off the bench behind a combination of Brand, Speights and Dalembert during his first season, and compete for a starting spot his second year. He'd immediately become the Sixers best defender/rebounder off the bench, and probably play the Reggie Evans-role until he tapped into his potential. On offense he'd fit right in, since he can dunk.
Up next: Cole Aldrich