5. Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis is in an odd spot right now. He’s a former unicorn. Let me explain what I mean by that.
NBA fans are always freaking out about one–and exactly one–young player with seemingly limitless upside. One guy who will completely revolutionize basketball through his unique and seemingly limitless skills.
Right now, the unicorn is Karl-Anthony Towns. For about a month early last season, it was Kristaps Porzingis. At random times it’s momentarily been Giannis Antetokounmpo. Before those three, Anthony Davis had the spot on lock for a while.
It makes sense that he did, too. Davis really can do it all. He’s led the NBA in blocked shots twice, and last season he added a real three-point shot to his arsenal, much like Boogie Cousins. The difference is that Davis is still just 23 years old, and thus has more upside to improve than Cousins.
He may no longer be everybody’s darling unicorn, but Davis is much better than Towns right now and still has room to improve. There’s no telling how good the young Brow could get. Having the hype train leave his station might actually be good for Davis–getting him some time out of the spotlight while he works out his kinks could result in a more polished player next season.
Next: Number Four