A pair of Kentucky Wildcats star freshmen, Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, are tabbed as the No. 1 and No. 2 picks of the 2012 NBA Draft, according to My NBA Draft.com.
Kentucky stars Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Anthony Davis should be the first two players taken in the NBA Draft. Kidd-Gilchrist has the biggest upside, though.
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The popular mock draft site has Davis going first overall to the Charlotte Bobcats, while pegging Kidd-Gilchrist in the No. 2 spot, going to the Washington Wizards. Imagine him with former Kentucky star John Wall. Lob City might relocate to the D.C. area if that comes true.
While Davis, the 2012 Naismith Award winner, was the most efficient player in the country, according to the Hollinger rankings on ESPN, Kidd-Gilchrist may have the biggest upside and become the better NBA player.
But make no mistake, Davis will be a very good, even great, player in the Association.
When I look at Kidd-Gilchrist's athleticism, length, and ability to make the court smaller, I get the image of a dominant scorer—one not only with the skill to run the floor, but one who would be a facilitator due to his physical play and ability to rebound the ball.
During the Wildcats' 67-59 national title win over the Kansas Jayhawks earlier this week, Kidd-Gilchrist took the ball at the 3-point line, took a stride-and-a-half, and finished with a magnificent lay-up. It was a play worthy of breaking down step-by-step. But I'll save you from that.
The 6-7, 232-pound forward's furious play (11 points, six rebounds) helped Kentucky take a commanding lead, not only on the score board, but in confidence, too. He proved to be everything I thought he was.
Kidd-Gilchrist—a small forward who could also plug in as a shooting guard—creates such a mismatch on the perimeter, forcing teams to respect his shot. But he also makes teams pay by careening to the basket for a dunk or acrobatic lay-up. He can mix it up in the paint, using his weight to his advantage to shed defenders and get the hard-fought buckets.
He's like a Swiss Army Knife.
At 6-foot-10 and 220 pounds, Davis would be strictly a post player, for the most part. That's just where tall guys play. He needs to pack on some weight in order to be more effective, which he probably will. He does have a nice touch, and might end up as somewhat of a less-husky Kevin Love-type, a big man who can shoot.
Davis was versatile in college, using his guard skills from high school (played guard before shooting up to 6-10) to bring the ball up court and facilitate the offense. I don't see him doing that in the NBA. The opposition is the best in the world, and Davis doesn't have the speed for that. He'll be forced to play more like a traditional power forward/center.
Both are great prospects. Both will have great careers. But I see Kidd-Gilchrist excelling at his position more than Davis, who will not only have to defend players like Kidd-Gilchrist, but also face towering, heavy centers.
Adam Biggers has followed NCAA basketball for over 20 years. He can be found on Twitter @AdamBiggers81.
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