Does anyone know anything about Center Glen Davis, LSU? He looks like an Oliver Miller type...6'8" 310lbs.
"Looking at Glen Davis before actually watching him play, you would assume that he is your typical wide, slow, undersized center that can barely get up and down the court and is just used for setting screens or getting a few rebounds. That however is completely not the case when discussing Glen Davis.
What stands out first when watching him play is his surprisingly good ball-handling ability. He is very good at taking defenders off the dribble and is able to change gears use hesitation moves even use a crossover move that can use to get to the hoop off the bounce. He utilizes this very well at the college level to take slower centers by surprise in the way he can handle the ball. Once he gets by the defender it is very hard to stop him because it is difficult stopping a man of his size and strength from getting a shot up. His ball-handling is not only limited to one on one situations, as he has even shown the ability to get the rebound and bring the ball up court if need be.
When he wants to get to the basket either off the dribble or when posting up, it is very hard for defenders to stop him from finishing at the rim. When a man that size gets into the air, he has to come down, and usually most post-men are not used to having to stop someone with incredible strength. Thus Davis can get his shot off around the basket and he has the potential to get a lot of continuation baskets because of his ability to follow through after contact.
Another very surprisingly aspect of Davis’s game is that he has a very
developed mid-range jump shot. He can shoot efficiently and effectively from the 15-17 foot range or even beyond and shows great shooting touch for a man his size.
Davis really likes shooting at the top of the key in the circle, which is where he is most effective if left open. When he is on the block posting up, Davis also has a very good fade-away jump shot that he can use off of a spin move. As the SEC player of the year, he’s a true go-to player for his team and will look for his shot in all situations to try and carry his team offensively.
Athletically, Davis is very rare. A player his size, with his strength and bulk, combined with his unique agility and nimbleness on the court does not come along very often. He has very quick feet, and can get up and down the court a lot better than most would assume. Davis is a mountain of a man, an immoveable object in the paint in many respects because of his wide body and physical strength. He has massive arms and looks like he could bench press a truck if really wanted too. The key is that he knows how to use his strength, too. It is not wasted on the court; he can use it when carving space for himself to post up, or to limit post players from setting up where they want to in the paint on offense. Another intriguing part of his game is that he is very coordinated for a big man, and has huge and soft, but strong hands on defense and offense.
On offense if there is one play that Davis can execute to perfection it is the pick and roll. It all starts with his ability to set a great screen with his wide body, and then use his quickness to get open followed by implementing his fine short-range jump shooting ability. He is a pick and pop player and if he gets in trouble he knows how to pass his way out of a double team. Davis is comfortable with the basketball in his hands and simply goes out and makes plays.
On the defensive end he has his virtues as well, being able to move players around in the post with his strength and width space. He does not have slow feet; if anything he is fairly nimble on defense and moves his feet well.
What he is at his best on defense is stopping the offensive player from backing up close to the basket. Davis knows how to use his leverage and size to push the offensive player away from where they want to ideally post up. When he boxes out aggressively he can really clear space. He takes out almost anyone in his path and no player can stop him from getting the ball if he puts his mind to it.
Davis is known as one of the most charismatic players in the NCAA, and from watching him interact with his teammates he appears to have a great personality. At times he can be a fun loving guy that likes to
joke around, and at other times he is a serious competitor and is one of the emotion leaders of his LSU team which reached the Final Four. Davis was one of the more vocal leaders not only on the court but also in the media during their trip to the Final Four. Having a likeable sincere guy like that on any NBA team would do nothing but help in terms of team cohesiveness.
He was very impressive against the Texas big man Aldridge especially, completely taking him out of the game as he absolutely controlled where Aldridge posted up."
Since he's projected in the 20-40 range there are obvious concerns (notably his height and weight...scouts want him at 280-290)...but at #29 is there a better big man who can do pick and roll / pick and pop...with his strength (something the Suns need)?