Prospect Overview
Gifted athlete and unselfish passer who stood out at times when he put everything together as a freshman at Alabama but is still early in his development as a floor general.
About JD Davison
A highly regarded point guard with great speed, quickness, and some real talent as a passer, JD Davison had some impressive moments as a true freshman at Alabama amid some growing pains as faced a steep learning curve in the SEC. Considered one of the top-15 prospects in the high school class of 2021 following his senior year at Calhoun High School (AL) in the small town of Letohatchee, Davison opted to stay close to home and play for Head Coach Nate Oats at Alabama. Filling a key role off the bench for the Crimson Tide, the 19-year old averaged 8.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.9 turnovers over 25.8 minutes per game to earn a spot on the All-SEC freshman team.
• Measured standing 6’2.5 in shoes with a 192-pound frame and a 6’6.5 wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, Davison has prototypical dimensions for a point guard to go along with an impressive combination of speed and explosiveness.
• Playing mostly on the ball when he was on the floor as a freshman, Davison operated regularly out of ball screens, pushed the ball aggressively in the open floor, and showed the ability to get downhill without a screen. Passing the ball unselfishly with some creativity, he had many positive moments using his explosiveness to create for others and to play above the rim, but also had persistent issues with turnovers, has room to improve as a ball handler, and is still coming into his own as a scorer.
• Possessing the length and quickness to be a factor defensively, Davison shined at times busting up perimeter actions, rebounding the ball, and defending one-on-one. He remains somewhat unpolished and is still picking up the nuances of the game, but has a strong base of tools to work with.
Advanced Stats
• Davison had an uneven year offensively showing the ability to create prolifically for others off the dribble but struggling to take care of the ball when doing so. Generating nearly twice as many shots with his passes out of ball screens and in transition than he attempted himself, he is an unselfish player who is still learning how to make the most of his skill set. Showing the ability to toss in an occasional set shot and use his athleticism around the rim, he was more efficient scoring the ball than his numbers suggest due to his inflated turnover rate.
• Adept at getting downhill off the dribble showing great burst changing speeds in the half court and great explosiveness in transition, Davison scored 1.28 points per finishing opportunity [72nd percentile]. Slamming home some emphatic dunks and faring pretty well in the half court despite forcing some shots playing a little too fast in spots, his physicality made him a pretty effective slasher and allowed him to put pressure on the rim to create openings for others.
• Scoring 1.09 points per catch and shoot jump shot [68th percentile], but 0.75 points per pull-up jump shot [46th percentile], Davison looked far smoother dribbling into shots on some attempts than others but shot the ball better than expected off the catch. While he did not shoot a high volume of three-pointers this year and still has plenty of room to improve his jumper, he has been making steady strides with his mechanics and accuracy in recent years.
• Possessing an interesting foundation of tools to work with, Davison’s ability to become craftier with the ball is a point of interest as his speed gives him clear upside as a shot creator.
Defensive Analysis
• Making an impact in a variety of ways defensively with his length, quickness, and leaping ability, Davison flashed intriguing potential on that end of the floor throughout his freshman year. The improvement of his frame in recent years helped him handle switches pretty effectively at times and helped him compete on the glass and his quickness was a factor pressuring the ball and turning defense into offense.
• Still learning the nuances of the game, Davison was not immune to lapses getting caught on screens and taking tough angles, but showed the playmaking ability to leave plenty of room for optimism.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
