Drummond, Cousins or Davis?

[RsxPiimp]

Going forward, which big man has the highest ceiling and is more likely to be a key figure for a playoff team in a few yrs?

Drummond

12.9 ppg 12.5 rpg 1.2 bpg 65% FG

A. Davis

18.8 ppg 10.2 rpg 3.6 bpg 49% FG

Cousins

21.7 ppg 10.1 rpg 1.2 bpg 48% FG

[HarlemHeat37]

Davis and it isn't even close, tbh..his game seems perfectly suited for the current style of the NBA and going forward..this season, his sophomore year, he's been the best big in the league, tbh..the concern with Davis is that he's fragile and already seems injury prone, tbh..

Drummond's ceiling is obviously high, but I don't know if he can ever become an offensive anchor for a team, I haven't seen that potential from him yet..he's having a solid season so far, though, and he's still young as fuck..

Cousins isn't in the conversation, tbh..

[RsxPiimp]

Davis and it isn't even close, tbh..his game seems perfectly suited for the current style of the NBA and going forward..this season, his sophomore year, he's been the best big in the league, tbh..the concern with Davis is that he's fragile and already seems injury prone, tbh..

Drummond's ceiling is obviously high, but I don't know if he can ever become an offensive anchor for a team, I haven't seen that potential from him yet..he's having a solid season so far, though, and he's still young as fuck..

Cousins isn't in the conversation, tbh..

Solid take dude, for some reason though, I really think Drummond will be the best big of the three.

[CitizenDwayne]

Davis has the potential to be the best big in the league, on both sides of the court, as long as he can stay healthy.

Cousins is too damn stupid and an inefficient scorer.

As for Drummond, it's hard to say at this point, but I can't really see him ever being a 20+ ppg guy.

RsxPiimp, what from Drummond makes you think he could become the best of the 3? Just wondering

[spurraider21]

Drummond looks like he's going to be a hybrid of Bynum and Chandler. love him as a prospect, but Davis is better. he's a do-it-all freak.

[spurraider21]

Davis and it isn't even close, tbh..his game seems perfectly suited for the current style of the NBA and going forward..this season, his sophomore year, he's been the best big in the league, tbh..the concern with Davis is that he's fragile and already seems injury prone, tbh..

Drummond's ceiling is obviously high, but I don't know if he can ever become an offensive anchor for a team, I haven't seen that potential from him yet..he's having a solid season so far, though, and he's still young as fuck..

Cousins isn't in the conversation, tbh..
davis has had injuries, but i like to think of guys with recurring issues (particularly bigs with their knees/feet) as injury prone. breaking your hand comes off as a freak injury that doesn't define a player's durability

[Holden_Caulfield]

i wonder where we would be if the spurs managed to acquire cousins during draft day, i remember hearing reports they tried. it was cousins right or was it favors :lol

[spurraider21]

the spurs would be better off with drummond than cousins... but det free throw shooting. ugh

[Chinook]

Davis may be the best player in the league in the next eight years. Drummond could be great, but not that good. I like Cousins a lot, too. But I don't see him ever living up to his potential. He could end up getting a ring or two in his early post-prime, though.

[RsxPiimp]

Davis has the potential to be the best big in the league, on both sides of the court, as long as he can stay healthy.

Cousins is too damn stupid and an inefficient scorer.

As for Drummond, it's hard to say at this point, but I can't really see him ever being a 20+ ppg guy.

RsxPiimp, what from Drummond makes you think he could become the best of the 3? Just wondering
Soft hands, excellent defender (averaging 2 SPG as a center) amazing glass cleaner (3 straight games of 18 + RPG). 12.5 rpg is pretty impressive. He's sharing the backcourt with Monroe and sometimes Smith, playing limited minutes.

Thing I like about Drummond over Davis is his size. 270? but quick as fuck, have you seen his lower body? You would think the guy couldn't run but Drummond can run down quicker than most big men with no problems. He's not going to be as good as Davis offensively, but he's already showing he is a better defender.

I do agree that he might not reach the 20PPG mark, 18 is probably his ceiling but the trade off is worth it.

I feel Davis will have a better career but Drummond IMO will bring more value to his team. Drummond has DPOY potential, I don't see that in Davis wiry frame.

Bottomline? I prefer big men who can bang down low, clean the boards and defend. Davis can do those too, but Drummond just does it better.

[baseline bum]

i wonder where we would be if the spurs managed to acquire cousins during draft day, i remember hearing reports they tried. it was cousins right or was it favors :lol

RC loved Favors, not Cousins.

[LkrFan]

Drummond, unless he turns into glassman.

[Killakobe81]

Davis and Drummond have higher ceilings. Drummond only needs a consistent motor to be truly great. He is huge pretty good fit and tremendous size. Davis though has a chance to be a hybrid of KG/timmy (though he won't probably be as good as either) he has Kg's length and athleticism but with some skills and demeanor reminiscent of Timmy. If he had stayed in college like Duncan at Wake, pretty sure he would have a similar polish if he had a great development coach. Calipari is a great recruiter and good coach but he doesnt seem to develop them that well ...partially due to the fact he doesnt keep anyone there for long ... `

[Rogue]

unibrow easily trumps them both imho

[AchillesHeel]

horrible poll, there's only 1 logical option, which is Davis. Drummond is effective on the attempts he does get, but he'll never carry a team offensively, just a solid big guy for now.

[StrengthAndHonor]

Soft hands, excellent defender (averaging 2 SPG as a center) amazing glass cleaner (3 straight games of 18 + RPG). 12.5 rpg is pretty impressive. He's sharing the backcourt with Monroe and sometimes Smith, playing limited minutes.

Thing I like about Drummond over Davis is his size. 270? but quick as fuck, have you seen his lower body? You would think the guy couldn't run but Drummond can run down quicker than most big men with no problems. He's not going to be as good as Davis offensively, but he's already showing he is a better defender.

I do agree that he might not reach the 20PPG mark, 18 is probably his ceiling but the trade off is worth it.

I feel Davis will have a better career but Drummond IMO will bring more value to his team. Drummond has DPOY potential, I don't see that in Davis wiry frame.

Bottomline? I prefer big men who can bang down low, clean the boards and defend. Davis can do those too, but Drummond just does it better.


Pretty good post. I also like Drummond, Davis is obviously better offensively and is more agile, but Drummond has a higher ceiling, he's just so raw. With Davis, he's pretty much displaying his offensive prowess so you already have an idea. Drummond, he can either be stuck averaging 12 ppg or improve and blow up averaging 20+ under the right system/ right point guard.

[StrengthAndHonor]

horrible poll, there's only 1 logical option, which is Davis. Drummond is effective on the attempts he does get, but he'll never carry a team offensively, just a solid big guy for now.
Whose to say Davis won't be an injury prone big man? or that Drummond will not improve? There are a lot of variables to say Davis is the only logical option.

[Baynes]

Drummond's ceiling is sky high IMO.

The reason hes got low ppg is because of JENNINGS and SMITH. Add to that another talented big man in Greg Monroe.

[DPG21920]

Drum is only 20 years old too. But he's not as good as Davis. You can see that.

[DPG21920]

Cousins is obviously really talented to, but strikes me as a guy that is more eyeball test talented than actual talented. He's really good obviously, but while he looks the part something is off.

[Katherine Robinson]

Davis' health will be an enduring limitation of his. If his injury problems continue to persist, Drummond will eventually be the best of the three.

[RsxPiimp]

Jennings is actually playing quite well this year. Dumars has quietly built a young, exciting playoff team.

[LkrFan]

Cousins is obviously really talented to, but strikes me as a guy that is more eyeball test talented than actual talented. He's really good obviously, but while he looks the part something is off.
It's all mental with Boogie. He has all the tools.

Crazy, but I'd like to see Drummond spend a summer or two with Shaq. If he had Shaq's demeanor on the court it would be over once gets more experience. He already shooting 65% and I don't even see a mean streak in him (yet). Kid's a beast in the making tbh.

[RsxPiimp]

It's all mental with Boogie. He has all the tools.

Crazy, but I'd like to see Drummond spend a summer or two with Shaq. If he had Shaq's demeanor on the court it would be over once gets more experience. He already shooting 65% and I don't even see a mean streak in him (yet). Kid's a beast in the making tbh.

Shaq? That's a weird choice. Olajuwon's camp has been overrated but I still think he'll benefit a lot with Akeem.

[CitizenDwayne]

Crazy, but I'd like to see Drummond spend a summer or two with Shaq.

I would agree with you, but it remains to be seen how much Shaq can help Cousins.

[Captivus]

Davis, but only because Drummond is a mistery to me...need a bigger sample.
Maybe next season Drummond will be my choice.
Cousins, just no.

[JamStone]

Interesting question. It may depend on what type of big man you want on your team, and that may also depend on what else you have on the roster. Anthony Davis has the potential to be a Kevin Garnett type of player. Drummond looks like a Dwight Howard type of player. Not saying either player will end up reaching that caliber, nor am I saying neither can surpass either player comparison. Just saying that's what "type" of player each guy looks to be.

The answer is probably Davis. He has the all around game on both sides of the ball. The question for me about Davis is whether his bodytype will allow him to be durable year in, year out. Can he bulk up to 235-240 lbs. and be as effective?

With Drummond, obviously Pistons fans are really excited about the kid. He's like the 6th youngest player in the league and already making a huge impact and he's starting to get noticed beyond the local fans and media. Can he become a 20 point scorer? Well, he's averaging 13.5 PPG in 33 minutes with getting virtually no primary touches on offense, other than a couple set lob plays a game. The Pistons as a team are horrible three point shooters, so it's not like Dwight Howard in Orlando where they'd force the ball down low and have 4 shooters to kick out to so defenses weren't allowed to come with hard doubles and triples. If the Pistons offense and personnel allowed for that and Drummond were a primary scorer, sure, he could score 20 points a game. He won't do it on this team the way it's constructed presently. The comparison to a young Dwight Howard I think is fair. There are a few significant differences. Especially when Dwight Howard was young, despite the big chest and broad shoulders, Howard had chicken legs. Drummond has a strong lower half. He won't get rooted out of the post as much as Howard did when he was younger. Drummond also has really soft hands. Around the basket, he does have some touch for a big. And while Drummond is a wretched free throw shooter, surprisingly his mechanics and form are not bad at all, which would lend one to believe he can become better. Dwight Howard always had bad form shooting, shooting mostly with the wrist than the whole arm, lacked fluidity, and often looked like he short armed his free throws. Drummond has normal looking mechanics. That said, Ben Wallace had decent form and never became even a decent free throw shooter. So time will tell. Despite Drummond's size, he plays like a wing in open court. Runs really well for 275 lbs. and has really good hands and can strip the ball from a guard's dribble. His steals aren't just off big men or off of bad passes. He's stripping guards on the dribble. Pistons fans are excited and we should be. The Pistons have been pretty awful for quite a while now. It's good to be excited about something.

I do think some people are undervaluing Cousins here too. If he's not as talented as Davis or Drummond, he's not far off at all. He's one of the best low post scorers already in the league when he wants to be. He's also mobile for a big and he can pass. And despite his reputation, I think he's actually a smart player. He's just a smart player that does stupid things. It's like Kobe when he chucks shot after shot. Cousins often knows the right play to make, but he chooses to disregard it anyway. That's not always stupidity. Often times, that's overconfidence evolving into ego. While Cousins' attitude and socio-mental issues may hold back his game, I think he's as talented as any young big in the game. Statistically, he's already pretty good. I think he could be "THE" dominant big man in the league if he got his shit together. Of course, that's a really big if.

[RsxPiimp]

My kabayan Jammie with the goods.

[Raven]

wow, i have no idea tbh.. Imho right now Cousins is the name, his offensive game is real, he actually is the go to guy on offense and considering he's not one to shoot it david lee style, that's actually special in today's nba. he has matured a bit this year, in the sense that before he was just throwing his temper anywhere, but now basically he talks shit KG style, i may be wrong, but i think he could actually be some sort of leader some day. He is still terrible defensively and that may never change, but i cannot just dismiss him because he has every needed tool to be at least above average. Davis is obviously the closest thing to a franchise big the nba has right now, he reminds a lot of timmy and kg as many have already pointed out, what i am concerned is how will his body develop but yeah, if i had to bet he would be the name. Drummond is a real big, not a common big, he's a BIG, he has the type of strength and athleticism that cannot be defended, that's how Chamberlain use to have 50 pointers every game.. his ft are perhaps the worst in the league and i doubt he'll ever be more than a .500 guy, but if his body holds up, he will soon be unguardable tbh.
Bottom line, they are all very talented and the winner will be decided by injuries and their will to work on their game. The thing going for Cousins, is that he is the only one of the three that could play well even with less athleticism, i'd still take Davis tbh.

[Juggity]

I'm going to discount Cousins because i think his team killing attitude is the deal-breaker.

I think it's Davis. He has the physical tools and smarts to be a great defender and he can play a little further from the basket than Drummond can.

That said, Drummond also looks like he could be a top-7 player in the league. He can bully like Shaq down low. He's got to be nearly Hibbert-sized and it's only his second year in the league.

[adonis827]

That said, Drummond also looks like he could be a top-7 player in the league. He can bully like Shaq down low. He's got to be nearly Hibbert-sized and it's only his second year in the league.

Both Drum and Monroe are 6-11 so not quite near Hibbert size. But that frontline of Drum - Monroe and Josh Smith might be scary. Plus a decent PG in Jennings and the Pistons might just have a good team.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Interesting question. It may depend on what type of big man you want on your team, and that may also depend on what else you have on the roster. Anthony Davis has the potential to be a Kevin Garnett type of player. Drummond looks like a Dwight Howard type of player. Not saying either player will end up reaching that caliber, nor am I saying neither can surpass either player comparison. Just saying that's what "type" of player each guy looks to be.

The answer is probably Davis. He has the all around game on both sides of the ball. The question for me about Davis is whether his bodytype will allow him to be durable year in, year out. Can he bulk up to 235-240 lbs. and be as effective?

With Drummond, obviously Pistons fans are really excited about the kid. He's like the 6th youngest player in the league and already making a huge impact and he's starting to get noticed beyond the local fans and media. Can he become a 20 point scorer? Well, he's averaging 13.5 PPG in 33 minutes with getting virtually no primary touches on offense, other than a couple set lob plays a game. The Pistons as a team are horrible three point shooters, so it's not like Dwight Howard in Orlando where they'd force the ball down low and have 4 shooters to kick out to so defenses weren't allowed to come with hard doubles and triples. If the Pistons offense and personnel allowed for that and Drummond were a primary scorer, sure, he could score 20 points a game. He won't do it on this team the way it's constructed presently. The comparison to a young Dwight Howard I think is fair. There are a few significant differences. Especially when Dwight Howard was young, despite the big chest and broad shoulders, Howard had chicken legs. Drummond has a strong lower half. He won't get rooted out of the post as much as Howard did when he was younger. Drummond also has really soft hands. Around the basket, he does have some touch for a big. And while Drummond is a wretched free throw shooter, surprisingly his mechanics and form are not bad at all, which would lend one to believe he can become better. Dwight Howard always had bad form shooting, shooting mostly with the wrist than the whole arm, lacked fluidity, and often looked like he short armed his free throws. Drummond has normal looking mechanics. That said, Ben Wallace had decent form and never became even a decent free throw shooter. So time will tell. Despite Drummond's size, he plays like a wing in open court. Runs really well for 275 lbs. and has really good hands and can strip the ball from a guard's dribble. His steals aren't just off big men or off of bad passes. He's stripping guards on the dribble. Pistons fans are excited and we should be. The Pistons have been pretty awful for quite a while now. It's good to be excited about something.

I do think some people are undervaluing Cousins here too. If he's not as talented as Davis or Drummond, he's not far off at all. He's one of the best low post scorers already in the league when he wants to be. He's also mobile for a big and he can pass. And despite his reputation, I think he's actually a smart player. He's just a smart player that does stupid things. It's like Kobe when he chucks shot after shot. Cousins often knows the right play to make, but he chooses to disregard it anyway. That's not always stupidity. Often times, that's overconfidence evolving into ego. While Cousins' attitude and socio-mental issues may hold back his game, I think he's as talented as any young big in the game. Statistically, he's already pretty good. I think he could be "THE" dominant big man in the league if he got his shit together. Of course, that's a really big if.

Can't agree more. I have seen hardly one game of Drummond's and I am mightily impressed. Kid has a great future as a center in this league. As you said, if the Pistons imaginatively reconstruct their roster with good spare pieces, it would be great for Andre's development.

Davis, for me, reminds a lot of prime Antonio McDyess and then some. He belongs to the TD/KG/HO 4.5 mode but he needs to refine his help & P&R defense and he will go a long way.

Cousins is very smooth on offense. He is the most naturally talented big man of the three offensively. He has a better facing the basket game than the other aforementioned two, and moves his feet very well. His help defense on the other hand is poor, he pouts and blames others ...and he is really a headache to coach and is more of a liability than an asset in the locker room. Its been four years and he hasn't still got it.. I doubt it if he ever will.

In sum, Davis will blaze his way provided the Pelicans don't screw up. Drummond will be most effective in a Pistons system designed to maximise his individual skills while Cousins will be the present day version of Rasheed Wallace.

[LkrFan]

Shaq? That's a weird choice. Olajuwon's camp has been overrated but I still think he'll benefit a lot with Akeem.

Shaq was a ferocious athletic as fuck monster in his hey day. He played with an attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder. No pretty as layups. No finesse tip ins. None of that cute shit. He was trying to tear the rim off or break the backboard (or some fool's hand if they were stupid enough to try and block his dunks). He shit was high percentage all the way. His footwork was amazing for a man his size.

All that said, in today's NBA, Drummond could be Shaq. Drummond is probably the most powerful big in the league right now (Mt. Hibbert or Oden being a close 2nd/3rd). Who could fuck with Drummond? Nobody to be honest. He has foot speed. He runs the court well. He's pretty agile too. He just needs experience. I think Shaq could teach him how to use his body and play "big." I think Shaq could teach him how to power through double/triple teams. He could teach him how to get deep post position and pin his man. He just can't teach him how to hit FTs :lol

What is he, 20? I'd LOVE to see him in Purple & Gold. He's still 5 years away from his prime. If he doesn't end up injury prone, he is going to be a monster. He's 7' and 280lbs at 20 years old. That's Shaq's size when he came in the league right there (IIRC, Shaq was 7'1" 315lbs as a 21 year old rook). He's probably not done growing either which is scary. He's averaging 13.5ppg and 12.8rpg already. Get this: his PG is Brandon fucking Jennings. He shares a frontcourt with two pretty good rebounders in Josh Smith and Greg Monroe.

Imagine if he was the focal point of an offense. He already shoots 65% - and he is still raw. Like I said, he should spend some time with Shaq (minus Krispy Kreme donut shops and chasing after Superhead :lol). He could learn a lot about physicality in the paint. Somebody will throw the max at this kid if Joe Dumars is stupid enough not to tbh.

[RsxPiimp]

Shaq was a ferocious athletic as fuck monster in his hey day. He played with an attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder. No pretty as layups. No finesse tip ins. None of that cute shit. He was trying to tear the rim off or break the backboard (or some fool's hand if they were stupid enough to try and block his dunks). He shit was high percentage all the way. His footwork was amazing for a man his size.

All that said, in today's NBA, Drummond could be Shaq. Drummond is probably the most powerful big in the league right now (Mt. Hibbert or Oden being a close 2nd/3rd). Who could fuck with Drummond? Nobody to be honest. He has foot speed. He runs the court well. He's pretty agile too. He just needs experience. I think Shaq could teach him how to use his body and play "big." I think Shaq could teach him how to power through double/triple teams. He could teach him how to get deep post position and pin his man. He just can't teach him how to hit FTs :lol

What is he, 20? I'd LOVE to see him in Purple & Gold. He's still 5 years away from his prime. If he doesn't end up injury prone, he is going to be a monster. He's 7' and 280lbs at 20 years old. That's Shaq's size when he came in the league right there (IIRC, Shaq was 7'1" 315lbs as a 21 year old rook). He's probably not done growing either which is scary. He's averaging 13.5ppg and 12.8rpg already. Get this: his PG is Brandon fucking Jennings. He shares a frontcourt with two pretty good rebounders in Josh Smith and Greg Monroe.

Imagine if he was the focal point of an offense. He already shoots 65% - and he is still raw. Like I said, he should spend some time with Shaq (minus Krispy Kreme donut shops and chasing after Superhead :lol). He could learn a lot about physicality in the paint. Somebody will throw the max at this kid if Joe Dumars is stupid enough not to tbh.

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/64/6494d9a65195279d35717e6d97375037c34660e076011dc05b cc67011a212df0.jpg

[AchillesHeel]

Shaq was a ferocious athletic as fuck monster in his hey day. He played with an attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder. No pretty as layups. No finesse tip ins. None of that cute shit. He was trying to tear the rim off or break the backboard (or some fool's hand if they were stupid enough to try and block his dunks). He shit was high percentage all the way. His footwork was amazing for a man his size.

All that said, in today's NBA, Drummond could be Shaq. Drummond is probably the most powerful big in the league right now (Mt. Hibbert or Oden being a close 2nd/3rd). Who could fuck with Drummond? Nobody to be honest. He has foot speed. He runs the court well. He's pretty agile too. He just needs experience. I think Shaq could teach him how to use his body and play "big." I think Shaq could teach him how to power through double/triple teams. He could teach him how to get deep post position and pin his man. He just can't teach him how to hit FTs :lol

What is he, 20? I'd LOVE to see him in Purple & Gold. He's still 5 years away from his prime. If he doesn't end up injury prone, he is going to be a monster. He's 7' and 280lbs at 20 years old. That's Shaq's size when he came in the league right there (IIRC, Shaq was 7'1" 315lbs as a 21 year old rook). He's probably not done growing either which is scary. He's averaging 13.5ppg and 12.8rpg already. Get this: his PG is Brandon fucking Jennings. He shares a frontcourt with two pretty good rebounders in Josh Smith and Greg Monroe.

Imagine if he was the focal point of an offense. He already shoots 65% - and he is still raw. Like I said, he should spend some time with Shaq (minus Krispy Kreme donut shops and chasing after Superhead :lol). He could learn a lot about physicality in the paint. Somebody will throw the max at this kid if Joe Dumars is stupid enough not to tbh.

Seems like a taller Dwight Howard to me. A good rebounder and a defensive player, high efficiency on his scoring attempts because most shots are putbacks/wide open dunks, make him your focal point and you probably get a 2012-2013 Dwight Howard. Can't hit FTs when fouled, so he would be a liability at the end of games and if he demands the ball while not improving in the post he'd be a team cancer just like Howard is.

Drummond is balling, but he doesn't have the skillset to be a 1st option RIGHT NOW, I'm not saying he won't improve, but I'm not going to buy into the hype until he actually does.

And I'm not saying that he will be as good as Dwight, putting up 17 and 12 a game with 2-3 blocks, but he has the skillset and the athleticism to at least do that if he works hard enough.

[RsxPiimp]

Dude is not is even old enough to buy a beer and you're already calling him a liability :lol