Adam Zagoria asked Charles Barkley who he would take first in the NBA Draft this year, and he responded, “I’m not sure if I would take that kid [Anthony Davis] No. 1″ because “that Barnes kid is a stud.” As the “Round Mound of Rebound” (which is too long to be a nickname anyway), I’m not surprised Barkley has questions about Davis’ weight. If I was concerned with size though, I think I’d take either Jared Sullinger (a slightly undersized big with a nose for the ball) based on production or Andre Drummond (Drummond has more physical tools than anyone I have ever seen live) based on upside.

But I want to ignore the weight issue for the time being. I want to talk about John Henson and Anthony Davis.

Davis Got the Block, but Henson Played a Better Game (credit: Larry Vaught)

Watching the North Carolina-Kentucky game, one couldn’t help comparing Henson and Davis. They’re both extremely tall (with 7’4″ wingspans!), great shot blockers and unfairly athletic. Henson is listed as 6’11”, 220 pounds, and Davis is listed as 6’10”, 220 pounds. If I had to guess, the heights are fairly accurate but both weights are generous. Both Henson and Davis are very raw offensively, though Henson is trying to extend his game to include a face-up jumper this year.

If you want the two players who alter the most shots, look no further than John Henson and Anthony Davis. Davis blocks more shots, but I think both alter a similar percentage of shots. The big difference between the two players is rebounding. Henson is a better rebounder. His offensive rebounding numbers are a little down this year, which I attribute to Henson’s setting up outside of the paint. But the fact is, he’s more productive on the defensive glass.

If I had the first pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, I probably wouldn’t choose Henson or Davis. Neither has the offensive skills or size to be a factor at the next level right now. Davis may be able to put on weight, but this is also a loaded draft. That said, if I was looking for a shot-blocking, defensive presence, I’d look very hard at Henson too.

mpatton (576 Posts)

This entry was posted on Friday, December 16th, 2011 at 2:27 pm by mpatton and is filed under acc, microsites. Tagged: andre drummond, anthony davis, charles barkley, jared sullinger, john henson, kentucky, north carolina. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.