If you have any doubts that Anthony Davis isn’t coming to kill everyone, he’s proving you otherwise against Brazil as he throws down this monster alley-oop in a preseason 2014 FIBA World Cup game.
This play represents a lot of the things people love about Anthony Davis. Not only can he affect the game on the defense end of the floor, but he’s athletic and long enough to run with the offense in the fast-break and finish on the other end, whether below the rim or above. In this instance, he finished above the rim in an emphatic throw down.
With Kevin Love, Kevin Durant, Paul George, and Blake Griffin all withdrawing from international play, a lot of pressure has been pushed to third-year power forward Anthony Davis and he looks ready to become one of the go-to guys on this team.
With so many viable wings, Team USA won’t have to worry about backcourt and small forward play–Stephen Curry, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and the others have that on lock. But when it comes to big-man play it looks like USA’s hopes may lie in the hands of Davis. While Andre Drummond, Mason Plumlee, and Kenneth Faried are all young, exciting bigs, none of them can be relied on, and with DeMarcus Cousins currently rehabbing a minor leg injury, Davis will have to play big for this team to perform well–on both ends of the ball.
Team USA is currently up 35-27 over Brazil in the second quarter.