10 GIFs That Prove Anthony Davis Is the Player to Watch in This Year’s NBA All-Star Game

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Eastern Conference point guards should be on alert: If you get Anthony Davis on a switch, know that the traditional center-versus-guard mismatch doesn’t apply. Deron Williams was definitely feeling himself after giving Davis the shakes, perhaps too much so. Davis is still seemingly growing into his body and figuring out how to apply his otherworldly physical skill set to the NBA’s mental and technical intricacies. His athletic ceiling seems limitless, so to see a past-his-prime Williams hose Davis even a little bit was surprising.

Williams flossed him, no doubt, but gaining a moment of freedom from facing Davis one-on-one doesn’t always lead to total escape from his web. Davis’ tendrils have amounted to a 7’7.75” wingspan, so to complete the ankle-breaker, Williams actually needed to be over a full Yao away from him. Quick hops and a light bounce finished the stunning block, and once Davis hit the open floor, the slam was certain. On the eye, he’s a unique blur of lengthy limbs and basketball power.

During a FIBA exhibition game against the Dominican Republic last September, a circa-2018 Anthony Davis came back in time for one possession. The international three-point line is a hair under the NBA’s, but to see Davis spot-up and hit a catch-and-shoot three and finish a four-point play is genuinely terrifying for all non-Pelicans fans. Becoming a legit deep threat (he’s made 2-of-23 career three-pointer attempts) won’t be easy—he’s got to tame his length first before he can master an efficient shooting form. Based on this GIF though, his jumper has a bright future.

In this All-Star Game, if Davis feels like going for it, he can absolutely mess around and start nailing threes. He won’t pop off like Kyrie last year or anything, but a few threes thrown in with a dominating glass-to-glass performance would make him a stronger candidate for the game’s MVP award. It’s not like the opposing center assigned to him will be bothered to step out to the arc anyway. Let’s set the over/under of Davis three-point attempts at the All-Star Game at 2.5.

The guards in last year’s Rising Stars Challenge were spoiled. In competitive and exhibition situations, Davis is the largest moving target in the game. Like an elite wide receiver, it doesn’t take a perfect pass for him to make a play out of it. Steph Curry’s pick-and-roll with Davis might get out of hand. Hopefully this leads to Blake Griffin and Davis taking turns setting screens and competing with each other for alley-oop opportunities. An in-game dunk contest between Griffin and Davis is what America needs from this game.

Watching NBA players give up on possessions after getting beat on a move is disheartening. As this year’s version of James Harden can attest to, playing acceptable defense is mostly an effort thing. Also, putting in work on the defensive end—being a real two-way player—curries respect and favor amongst teammates and fans alike.

Point being, Glen Davis went into his attempted shot block with the right mentality: Run (relatively) fast and try hard, and make the fans and him teammates root for and appreciate him. With a bit of context, though, Glen’s calculus changes for the worst. The problem is, attempting to block AD is flawed logic to begin with. It’s a one-way route towards posterization.

Get out of Anthony’s way, let him shine, and let us cheer.

In hindsight, Tony Parker should’ve peaked over his shoulder before attempting that layup. After getting around his man, a quick glance in his left rear view mirror would’ve revealed an incoming 6’10” terror leaping toward the rim to protect this house. Parker never saw Davis coming. He can cover so much ground so quickly—no shot in the All-Star Game will be safe so long as Davis is anywhere near the ball. Even when he won’t be trying (it’s an exhibition game), it’ll look like he’s trying (he’s the best).

It’s not the greatest of passes from an under-pressure Jameer Nelson, but dude was probably happy to just get the ball away. Now uninterested with Nelson, Davis furiously chased the ball from the top of the arc to the corner. Parsons was ready to shoot the thing, but Davis popped up in his sightline at the last moment, and, as you can see, that scared the chest hair off poor Parsons. A half-assed pump fake into a blocked shot was the inevitable result.

Will any All-Stars be scared by Davis’ shadow into holding onto their shot? Probably. Well, maybe it’ll take one bold superstar to challenge Davis, lose, and set the tone for the rest of the evening. Nobody wants to be the victim in a nationally televised Anthony Davis GIF-to-be.

Guarding LaMarcus Aldridge requires a special kind of preparation, attention, and effort. Davis answered the call on this play, blocking an unblockable shot—once Aldridge rises, his towering frame gives him Dirk-like protection on pull-up jumpers. Against 99 percent of the league, he’s not guardable over-the-top. That’s not the case against AD though.

The follow-up block on the perimeter and fast-break opportunity is even more special. Big men haven’t been designed to make plays like this. Davis will be in an arena full of his peers on Sunday night, but only a select handful can create their own offense by playing fast-break inducing defense like he can.

Oh wow, it’s Davis blocking Dirk’s NBA Championship-earning fadeaway jump shot. Again, that’s not supposed to be a blockable shot. ESPN’s Sports Science concluded that a player would need to have Yao Ming’s height and Derrick Rose’s hops to block Dirk’s fadeaway. Clearly, Anthony Davis is the missing link.

Okay, based on all the hype, it’s disappointing that Anthony Davis didn’t take off from the three-point line, grab Steve Blake on the way up, and dunk him in Jordan Hill’s face. It’s fine though, really. Given how elegantly Davis slid through the air before thunderously dunking his way past Hill (who intelligently got the hell out of the way, unlike Big Baby of slides past), that disappointment is quickly washed away. The seas will be parted on Sunday night for Davis to soar through.

This is the rawest element of Davis’ growing offensive game, and it might be his most important developmental point. Being able to make plays in isolation off the dribble is crucial in tight fourth quarters, and doubly critical in tight fourth quarter playoff situations. Davis’ handle and shot are coming, but the young buck is champing at the bit already. His isolation dribbles have a circus-like wildness and sense of adventure to them. Refinement is preferable, duh, but for now, watching Davis’ curiosity in action is entertaining as hell—banter when Big Anthony washes Pau Gasol on the left wing.