Behind the Brow: A Look at What Makes Anthony Davis So Special

Kentucky freshman phenom Anthony Davis doesn’t quite look like your typical basketball superstar. To be honest, he looks a lot more like a muppet (think Kermit meets Statler), a Cyclops with two eyes, a basketball mutant McPoyle twin (Davis even has his own twin sister named Antoinette), Bert from Sesame Street, Frida Kahlo, a Pompeiian lady, Maggie Simpson’s rival Gerald Samson, Squilliam Fancyson, or a young George Bush.

And that’s not to say that all people with unibrows look alike. But there definitely is something about the select few who allow the monobrow to materialize on their forehead that makes it difficult for the masses to notice the rest of their identity. In the case of 6’10 PF/C Anthony Davis, this unibrow effect has blocked the public from fully appreciating what a unique and remarkable talent Davis is. The truth is, Anthony Davis really needs and deserves more buzz (pun intended).

It’s perhaps best to view Davis first from a statistical standpoint to see just how rare of a player he is. He shoots over 63% from the field, 71% from the line, commits less than one turnover per game, grabs double digit rebounds, gets 1.3 steals per game, leads the NCAA in dunks, and has set an SEC record by blocking just under 5 shots per game.

He is a model of efficiency on both ends of the floor. On Kentucky’s offense, he is only the 5^th most used player and doesn’t need to control possessions to have an impact  (I'm looking at you Crapmelo Anthony). On defense, he averages less than two fouls per game, displaying an astounding discipline and technique with his shot blocking, seldom falling for shot fakes and avoiding contact by attacking the ball after it has left the shooter’s hands.

Davis’s bilateral versatility is another hallmark of his well-rounded game. There’s a good chance you’ve heard the story about how Anthony Davis was an unrecruited 6’2 guard known for his outside shooting as a sophomore, then magically grew 8 inches by the end of his senior year without losing hardly any of his coordination or guard skills. Davis has the ability to bring the ball up the floor and hit the midrange jumper with consistency on offense, and his combination of length and quickness makes him a lethal perimeter defender as well as one of the best interior shot blockers in recent memory. His shot blocking skill is remarkable not just because he is so good at staying out of foul trouble, but also because he blocks shots all over the floor, not just inside.

Analysts are throwing a bunch of names out there to try to grasp exactly what kind of player Anthony Davis is by making comparisons to some of the greatest big men of our era.

Davis’s humble, collected demeanor on the floor and excellence on both sides of the ball remind some of Tim Duncan. Perhaps the best indicator of Davis’s uncommon humility is his infamous brow, which signifies a lack of personal adornment and superficial obsession that has to be viewed as utterly refreshing in the context of the modern image-obsessed athlete (I’m looking at you LeBron). Timmy D is a fair comparison, and after all, in a few months, Davis will join Duncan and Kenyon Martin as the only players in basketball history to win both the awards for NCAA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and then be drafted first overall to the NBA. For someone who just turned 19 this March and has been in the spotlight for such a short time, it’s nothing short of extraordinary that Davis has carried himself so well.

Others point to Kevin Garnett as a potential comparison, as both he and Davis possess an intense defensive ferocity, a long, lanky frame, impressive midrange jumpshots for players their size, and the ability to bring the ball up the court like a guard. Davis brought the ball up the court for his high school team, and while his jumper still definitely could use some work (his outside shooting percentages, especially from 3 point range, are somewhat subpar), he has a fluid shooting motion and should only get more consistent as he matures and grows into his body.

Others still point to Davis’s personal favorite basketball player whom he idolizes, Kevin Durant, as a comparison. Once Anthony Davis wins the player of the year award, he will join Durant as the only other freshman to be honored with the Naismith trophy. Durant stands 6’9 with a 7’5 wingspan, and Davis is 6’10 with a 7’4 wingspan, and both are noticeably thin compared to their fellow players, as Davis only weighs 220 pounds and Durant had to do some considerable bulking up in the NBA just to reach 235. However, Durant is a cold blooded scorer who could win more scoring titles than Jordan by the time he’s retired, and Davis is not an elite scorer (yet) by any stretch of the imagination, only scoring more than 20 points seven times in 38 games this year.

Another tendency among experts is to compare Anthony Davis to Calipari’s last gifted big man, Marcus Camby, whom he coached at UMass in the 1990s. The similarities between Camby and Anthony Davis do seem uncanny: Both were underappreciated 6’2 guards after their sophomore year who grew 8 inches by the time they reached college, both became dominant shot blockers and defenders, and both were coached by Calipari in college as well. Calipari acknowledges their similarities, though he has stated that Anthony is a more developed athlete at this stage in his playing career. When Calipari started recruiting Davis, he called Camby to tell him he found another version of him, except this one had a jumpshot.

Many people tend to think of this Camby comparison as a sort of insult on Davis’s potential and use it to diminish Davis’s prospects as a potential superstar, since Marcus Camby’s name doesn’t have the same ring as KG, Duncan, or Durant. But this comparison is indeed a flattering one.

Camby was the 2^nd overall pick in arguably the greatest draft class ever in 1996 (featuring Allen Iverson, Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, and Steve Nash, among others), and was an absolutely dominant force in college. If you’re into watching classic games and are as excited as I am for this Saturday’s Calipari-Pitino showdown in the Final Four, you should check out footage of one of the last times the two coaches faced off back in 1995, which is available to watch on YouTube here.

In this game, Camby singlehandedly managed to lead Calipari’s UMass team to a victory against a Kentucky team considered to be one of the greatest college basketball squads of all time, handing them one of only two losses on the year. Camby’s UMass squad was the only team that got within 7 points of Kentucky the entire tournament later in the Final Four that year on Kentucky's stampede through the NCAA tournament.This team, known as “The Untouchables” was coached by Rick Pitino and featured a staggering 9 future NBA players including Tony Delk, Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer, Walter McCarty, Nazr Mohammed, and Kenny Anderson.

Even though he’s never been an All Star and never will be one, Camby is a former defensive MVP, 4-time All-Defense selection, and a 4-time NBA shot blocking leader whose career can hardly be considered a failure. He even added to his legacy of underrated awesomeness just recently with this crazy full court shot.

All these comparisons have their merits, but I’m willing to go a step further back in history to find a potential counterpart for Anthony Davis. Davis’s long, thin frame, team-first attitude, and remarkable shot blocking ability for me bring to mind none other than the inimitable Bill Russell. Both were notable for their deceptively long wingspans, super-human timing and quick-twitch jumping ability, as well as thier willingness to subjugate themselves on offense for the sake of their team. Surround Anthony Davis with a lineup full of Hall of Famers like Russell had and I bet he could win a ton of championships as well.

For now though, Anthony Davis is still just another 19 year old kid. Based on how well he has already managed his meteoric rise to fame, all basketball fans should be thrilled to see how this once in a generation talent will bloom as he's introduced to a whole new world in the NBA. Doubters will always be there, questioning his ability to compete with stronger players at the next level, develop a one-on-one offensive game, and shave that hideous forehead fur. But for now, Davis will just continue to be the humble kid who relishes the ability he now has to block other players' shots after years of getting his own shots swatted into the stands, the brave kid who isn't afraid to be himself and knows how to play within himself, which is ultimately all you can hope for in a young basketball player with his kind of talent.

Top 9 Possible Reasons Why the New York Jets Would Want Tim Tebow

There are a lot of questions in New York surrounding the Jets’ recent move to get Tim Tebow, and rightfully so. The Jets are a team that has gotten to the AFC conference championship in 2 of the last 3 seasons with Mark Sanchez at QB (in just his his first and second seasons). Until last year, where they missed the playoffs and went 8-8, the Jets were perennial Super Bowl contenders. And Mark Sanchez just signed a 3-year $40 million extension with the team, basically proving that they wanted to give him an extended chance.

But Sanchez regressed last year in his 3^rd season following a fairly successful sophomore year (only 13 interceptions, Jets 11-5). Even though he just signed this $40 million extension (which is truly puzzling), every year he has been a starter in the NFL, he has been in the bottom third of the league in passing, throwing for less than 7 yards per attempt, with completion percentages eerily similar to those of the infamously armed ex-Bronco QB. Tebow actually has a higher career yards per attempt than Sanchez as well (6.8 to 6.5).

Now, instead of fully solving their QB situation by going for Manning (a bit more on that later), the Jets’ QB issues go from an already muddled situation with Sanchez's constant drama and confidence issues to a full on showcase with two equivalently mediocre passers vying for supremacy. Here are some of the potential reasons why the Jets simply couldn’t resist the chance to make the Mile High Messiah become the Messiah of Metlife, and to ruin life for Sanchez.

9. Tebow Jersey Sales will become an instant hit in New York. Green and white Tebow jersey ads already headline every page on NFL.com. Tebow will also probably increase the jersey sales of all Tebow’s star Jets teammates like Darrelle Revis and D’Brickishaw Ferguson (D’Brickishaw jersey sales would skyrocket if they were granted an exceptional first name status. Come on Jets' marketers!).

8. Rex Ryan wants Tebow on his Madden team for when he plays against his Jeff Bridges fused identical twin brother, Rob Ryan. Rex might have had his fragile patience shattered after watching the Ravens defense pick off Mark Sanchez 114 times over the last three years of playing the game.

7. Rex Ryan couldn’t handle his frequent flashbacks he had been experiencing since Tebow’s 20 yard game winning last minute run against the Jets last November (the other Denver score came off a Mark Sanchez throw). This game was just the example Jets' management needed to see that a Tebow led offense could outdo a Mark Sanchez led offense, especially when Sanchez throws costly pick 6's at the end of games.

6. The Jets wanted to steal attention from the Giants. The Jets must be annoyed because, all of a sudden, everyone in New York is for some reason making a big deal out of the Giants after they won two Super Bowls in five years in miraculous fashion. The Jets, and Rex Ryan in particular, have a recent tradition of making wanna-be Namath Super Bowl predictions just to get attention. Acquiring Tebow is a much less humiliating way of getting everyone’s attention after ending up losing each of the last few years and looking like fools making empty promises.

5. Media coverage revenues will shoot up for the Jets by the mere presence of Tebow. He will become must see TV and will get national coverage every week when he starts, and even Tebow on the bench or in situational settings makes for a story that people want to see.

4. The Jets simply liked the value trade of a 1^st round pick for a 4^th round pick and a 6^th round pick. New York could have just gone for the fact that Tebow is a still a former 1^st round pick with a successful season under his belt, going for a 4^th and a 6^th round pick. Just last year, Carson Palmer, another former first round pick who is older and probably has less starting years ahead of him than Tebow, attracted a 1st and 2nd round pick from the Raiders. Based on value, even if he does make Mark Sanchez feel a bit queasy in close games to start out the season, Tebow's an insane value pickup and without a doubt a worthwhile addition to the team in specialty situations.

3. Tebow can save the Jets’ rushing attack, which only averaged 3.8 yards per carry last season and was outrushed by its opponents. The Broncos led the NFL with 4.8 yards per carry last year, and there’s no reason to think the Jets won’t be able to do the same this year with Tebow. Although Willis McGahee was underratedly amazing last season for the Broncos, the combination of Shonn Greene, Ladainian Tomlinson, and Joe McKnight will provide much more for Tebow than what Denver had to offer at the running back position from a talent perspective. Rex Ryan has always fantasized about a ground and pound attack, but Shonn Greene and LT haven’t seemed up to the task in recent years. Now, the Jets have a number of serious rushing threats, especially if Joe McKnight can take another step forward this season. Tebow is sure to become quick friends with all the Jets’ running backs, as he’ll open up all sorts of new lanes as a double threat to run the ball.

2. Reality TV show opportunities. Hard Knocks would become must see TV if it chooses to cover the Jets and gets to follow two quarterbacks who are glamour hogs: Mark Sanchez by artificial design, and Tim Tebow by sheer force of character Words like ‘soap opera,’ ‘drama,’ and ‘media circus’ are already being used to describe the two QBs' relationship, but when you throw in other supporting characters like Rex Ryan, Santonio Holmes, Ladainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie, this has an entertainment potential far beyond Hard Knocks. We’re talking about prime time TV potentially. The show will really take off once Tebow begins to win the heart of Mark Sanchez’s girlfriend, SI swimsuit cover model Kate Upton, converts her to Christianity, and proceeds to be too holy and too faithful a teammate to go through with any of her frequent attempts to get in bed with him.

1. New York wanted to be the media center of Tebowmania. After what was essentially a day of testing how excited New York fans would be about Tim Tebow, the buzz his move created and the support given by the local media proved that it was clear that it was easily worth it for the Jets to spend the extra $5 million to buy out Tebow’s contract. At Denver’s asking price, it was easily worth it economically for the team in the biggest media market in sports.

  

What will actually happen with Tebow on the Jets

Tebow will absolutely eat up Mark Sanchez.

Sanchez is delicate enough as it is, and he doesn’t exactly exemplify the Rex Ryan demeanor. Rex Ryan is a 300 pound human volcano and Sanchez is a pretty boy, wannabe Mexican David Hasselhoff pretty boy. Tebow is the type of player who absolutely will get along with Rex, with his combination of modesty and leadership that makes him one of the biggest coach’s pets in the NFL. And did I mention that Mark Sanchez is an annoying pretty boy? People are mentioning Tebow as a situational goal line guy or a situational wildcat specialist. The Jets do have new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano, who was part of bringing the wildcat to the NFL in 2009, but Tebow’s usefulness in this offense is likely to expand past situtational wildcat duties.

This is a job Tebow will win. Mark Sanchez has no significant statistical passing advantage over Tebow for his career, and you could definitely argue that Plaxico Burress and Santonio Holmes provide much more talent and experience at wide receiver than DeMaryius Thomas and Eric Decker, even though they both had their moments last year. There were already anonymous requests from some of the Jets’ players to get Peyton Manning to replace Mark Sanchez, and this small din from within will only expand as Tebowmania begins to infect the entire locker room.

The Tebowmania epidemic proved fatal for Denver, as the Mile High Messiah’s popularity actually proved to be too intense after Tebow’s miraculous last season. Tebow's media buzz would have actually made the team worse. There was no way it could be quieted now, even if Peyton Manning manages to play as amazingly as, well, Peyton Manning for the Broncos. It is true that Tebow could have potentially been a diligent pupil to Peyton, and he probably would develop into a significantly better quarterback after a season or two on the bench learning from Manning, who said he’d be a willing teammate. But no matter how positive an internal locker influence Tim Tebow would have been inDenver, the media would have cancelled out his positives and made him a detriment to the team and Manning.

The roaring force of this epidemic eventually made Denver give up its most hyped player since Elway, but they deserved a much better price. From an economic standpoint, there are honestly few players as valuable as Tim Tebow, and for me it makes sense to have that be valued heavily in a deal. Tebow would have been worth a number of top draft picks, and probably players too, if GMs were actually factoring in the enormous economic benefits of having Tebow.

Once Tim Tebow gets the starting job, and it will happen, just as soon as the Jets start 1-3 or Sanchez throws multiple picks in the game, don’t count out what he can do. There’s still a long time until the NFL season starts, and the on-field success of this trade will depend upon how Tony Sparano and the offensive coaching staff use this time to create an offense where Tebow can thrive.

The Jets are a better team defensively than the Broncos, and their offensive support players are also stronger. There’s no reason to think Tebow’s on-field success should be diminished now that his team situation has improved. How Tebow embraces the New York media will be another question, but he succeeded last year handling his enormous fame in Denver, and he appears to be completely media savvy. I’m mostly worried about all the scrutiny that will be on his private life in the busy New York metropolis, which will be full of distractions from a celebrity life much more extensive than what Tebow is used to from Florida and Denver.

But I trust in Tebow to handle all that, and quickly win over his teammates in the locker room. What he will be able to do on the field is still up for grabs, but if last year taught us anything, it was that everything was possible with Tim Tebow at quarterback. The Jets may have just won the lottery by merely putting up two mid-late draft picks to secure a potential starting QB, and Tebow might prove to be the savior that makes the Jets offense viable enough to make them a Super Bowl team that no longer has to be stuck in the shadow of Eli Manning and their crosstown brethren.