Freshman, PF, Michigan State
6’10.5”, 237.2 lbs
9.7 percent body fat, 9’0.5 standing reach, 7’2.5” wingspan
College Stats In 2015-16
35 games, 7.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 59.8 FG%, 60.5 FT%
Where He’ll Go
Davis is expected to be a late lottery pick.
Best Game In 2015-16
Davis’ best game came on Nov. 23 at home against Eastern Michigan. In the 89-63 win, Davis finished with a bench-high 16 points to go with five blocks, five rebounds and an assist. He shot an efficient 7-for-10 from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 from the free-throw line.
Strengths
With his body and length, he’s already a very good defensive player. He can block shots and has shown the ability to switch out on wing players from time-to-time in college. He’s a solid rebounder on both ends of the floor. Offensively, there’s some room to grow, but he did average a respectable 16.5 points per 40 minutes, so there’s potential. He a super-great athlete and scouts think he’ll have the ability to stretch the floor as he develops. Probably not all the way to the 3-point line, but maybe to the elbow. He has soft hands and a soft touch. He should be able to be a “lob guy” immediately in the pros.
Weaknesses
He’s raw, so some NBA concepts might not come natural to him. We didn’t get to see much of him at Michigan State, so he doesn’t have as much experience against the “best of the best.” He’s going to need to get stronger, but his frame has plenty of room for that. He doesn’t have much of a left hand at all, and he doesn’t have much for a post game. Defensively, he gets lost when he plays off the ball, which irked head coach Tom Izzo. Early on, stronger players will have their way against him on the block and Davis could see himself get into foul trouble.
Ratke’s Take
Davis should be able to come in and be productive defensively immediately. He’s extremely long and he had two games with five blocks during his freshman season. Not bad.
It might actually benefit him that he played limited minutes with Michigan State since that’s what he’ll likely play in his first couple seasons in the NBA.
I wasn’t able to see him test at the Combine, but I was able to talk with him after. He didn’t seem super engaged, but then again, I wouldn’t want to talk to me after a two-hour workout either. He said that he wanted to work on dribbling, which tells you that he’d like to bring his game out to the perimeter. Very intriguing.
He probably should be taken somewhere in the lottery just because of his physical makeup. At the very least, he should be a good defensive big man in the NBA. And his offensive game isn’t as much of a project as most defensive-orientated big men. If a team from 8-12 can afford to wait a year or two before Davis cracks major minutes in the rotation, I think it’s worth the pick. But then again, potential is a very dangerous thing.