Anthony Davis Fantasy News and Statistics

From Isiah Thomas to Tim Hardaway to Dwyane Wade, Chicago has produced some of the best players in NBA history. But none may be as talented as Anthony Davis, who has grown—both literally and figuratively—into one of the NBA’s best players. John Calipari is eternally grateful for Davis and others for bringing him his first NCAA championship, but the success Davis experienced at Kentucky has been fleeting with the New Orleans Pelicans.

Davis certainly didn’t look like a future star when he began high school, but a growth spurt raised his profile among NCAA programs. He grew 10 inches while in high school and was the top-rated player in the Class of 2011 by his senior year. Davis spurned the hometown DePaul Blue Demons and Syracuse to sign with Kentucky, but the move was not without controversy. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Davis’ father asked for $200,000 from UK for his son’s commitment, but that report was later denied by both parties. Regardless, Davis did end up going to Kentucky and was expected to be the first pick of the 2012 NBA Draft before he even stepped foot in Lexington.

His one season at Kentucky was nothing short of historic, and he lived up to the lofty expectations. He completed the Grand Slam of college basketball by being named the consensus Player of the Year, the Defensive Player of the Year, winning a national championship and being named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. It came as no surprise when he declared for the NBA Draft following the season, and the rest of Kentucky’s starting five also joined him.

To the shock of no one, the New Orleans Hornets made Davis the first selection in the draft. While his college career ended with a championship, his pro career started inauspiciously. He was productive on the court, but he struggled to stay on the hardwood. He suffered a concussion in his second NBA game and then had a stress reaction of his ankle in his sixth. A sprained MCL would later prematurely end Davis’ rookie season, but he still finished second in Rookie of the Year voting to Damian Lillard.

The Hornets became the Pelicans in the 2013-14 season, and Davis became the first and currently only All-Star in Pelicans team history. He became just the eighth player in NBA history to make an All-Star game at the age of 20 or younger, and he was also the youngest player to ever lead the league in blocks. The following year was even better from both an individual and team standpoint, as Davis made his postseason debut. The Pelicans were swept by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors, but Davis still certified himself as an elite player by being named to the All-NBA first team.

While Davis continued to progress as a player, his health took a step back the following season as a torn labrum cut his season short again. Davis has gained roughly 30 pounds since entering the NBA, but his body has still been subject to freak injuries for most of his career. He finally reached the 70 games threshold in the 2016-17 season, which was highlighted by his performance in the All-Star Game. Davis served as the unofficial host with the game in New Orleans, and he responded by breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record for points scored. That netted him the game’s MVP award, and Davis again returned to the All-NBA first team.

He has an NCAA championship, an Olympic gold medal and is only 24 years old, but Davis is still chasing postseason success. He is the best player in the NBA without a playoff victory and is teaming with the best player in the NBA without a playoff appearance in DeMarcus Cousins. How these two Wildcats coexist will determine if they can rid themselves of those aforementioned labels.