“Anthony Davis is the most SKILLED power forward to ever touch the damn basketball” — what's wrong with Kendrick Perkins’ wild take
Anthony Davis and Kendrick Perkins
© Brad Mills and Kyle Terada - USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has been on a tear this season, showing why many pundits included him in discussions on who the best players in the league are some years back. But various injuries have set him back and relegated him to a punchline - that is, until his recent explosion. Interestingly, his exploits have led to Kendrick Perkins voicing out another of his wild takes.
Does Perk have a valid point?
The former Shaqtin'a Fool MVP's tweet begs the question of whether or not Davis has a claim for the distinction of most skillful power forward in the history of the league. Take note that Perkins specifically used the description "skilled" and not "best," which would have courted heavier controversy.
Davis' body of work certainly merits the conversation. After all, this is a player who nearly put up 30-10 lines during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans. Furthermore, he has combined his elite offense with an equally elite defense, as he can significantly disrupt the opponents on that end of the court and routinely register a combined total of four blocks and steals.
This season has seen the eight-time All-Star throw it back with massive stat lines, helping the Lakers win eight of their past 10 games to creep back into the Western Conference playoff picture.
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The injuries that have hampered him in recent seasons are hopefully a thing of the past, as he even exhibited the ability to put two guys in one poster on Sunday.
But the most skillful?
Still, Perk's "most SKILLED" quip is wrong on various levels. Yes, Davis has plenty of tricks in his bag. But is he more skillful than the likes of Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, with whom Perkins also spent time on the court?
Duncan wasn't called the "Big Fundamental" for nothing. Despite having less athleticism than Davis, the San Antonio Spurs legend dominated both the offensive and defensive ends of the court with skills on the way to five rings and two MVP awards.
Even Garnett looked more like a virtuoso on the court than Davis. The former MVP and Defensive Player of the Year had a wide array of moves on offense, which he combined with monster defensive skills to overwhelm opponents.
Other power forwards, like Dirk Nowitzki, Charles Barkley, and Kevin McHale, also deserve consideration.
Do Davis' skills surpass those of those Hall of Famers? The jury's out. What's clear is that he still has plenty of work to do, to say for sure.
