Powe vs. Glenn Davis

[Barnabas]

Which one do you think will be the better player two years from now?  Next year?  Why do you think so?  Who do you think has a better game, right now?

[BigAlTheFuture]

Powe now and Powe next year. I just love Leon's game.

[BudweiserCeltic]

This is a tough call for me, entering the season I would've said Glenn Davis without a doubt... but then Powe showed up, and I started leaning towards him. But their play during the playoffs hasn't inspired confidence on me for either of them... might as well flip a coin as far as I'm concerned.  I'll say this, I think Davis has a better skill set than Powe, but he also needs to find a more optimal weight target a body shape.  I think many here are not bothered by this much, but Powe's defensive rotation problems bother me quite a bit.

[Roy Hobbs]

It depends upon whether BBD gets serious about getting his weight under control.  If he does, he'll be the better of the two.  I'm not convinced that he can / will do that, though.

[hwangjini_1]

powe will probably be a very good role player on a good team in the nba. he has some talent and unbelievable determination. that is a good combo. he can score down low, and will probably develop a short range jump shot in time. he is a fierce rebounder.

but that is about it. his defense is ok, not great, but certainly good enough for playing against other bench players. passing? he is a black hole and rarely passes. but then, this may in part be due to doc. maybe doc tells him "rebound, score, dont worry about anything else right now." powe is not a very good ball handler either. plus, he does not jump high, so under the basket taller players (ala Z for cleveland) can block his shot.

davis, if he someday weighs less than most baby whales, has the potential to be starter on a number of nba teams. judging from his college days, he has range on his shot, even though it has not shown this year so far. he is quick and more coordinated than powe. he is definately strong, strong enough to make it almost impossible for other players to push him around. when he plants himself, no one else gets that spot.

i also think that davis is called for an incredible number of ticky tack fouls. that is partly because he is a rookie, and partly because he may anticipate the ball on defense and tries to make great defensive plays... but doesnt quite have the quickness/angle/etc down yet. a third reason is simply makes boneheaded plays, but he is smart enough to learn how to stop doing so.

while davis undersized ala powe, davis will probably have a better outside shot and more moves under the basket. so he will be harder to defend than powe someday.

powe is about what he always be...scoring with rebounds. which is pretty good.

davis has more basketball skills and i think smarts. powe is more valuable to the celtics right now, but davis will be the more complete player in a few years.

but for now, i am delighted that ainge has managed to get BOTH of them and their different skill sets on the celtics, and it only cost the team 2nd round picks.

[BASSTHUMPER]

if davis can run with that weight i thinks its a plus...barkley was a big guy who could run and dunk like in philly..

but for long term use..powe...

[Bahku]

Right now, it's Powe ... definitely, he's got the maturity and patience that BBD lacks, and that's huge at this level. As far as two years from now, that's tough to say. If Powe keeps progressing, he's going to be great, but Big Baby has so much heart and determination, and such quick feet for a big guy, and this uncanny ability to know where the ball is always going to be, (like Rondo), I think if he stays healthy, and stays as hungry as he is now - willing to learn and adapt - that he's going to become a truly great player, and possibly one of the best at his position.

[Tommy Gun]

Are you guys serious?...Leon Powe as much as i like him will never be more than a garbage player..by that I mean he will rebound and score down Low in close, he will also give you some good D.


Davis has better hands and footwork..he will score down low and rebound. He already has a 15 foot shot and better moves around the basket..

davis can be a starter eventually.Powe is always going to be an energy guy off the bench

[Brickowski]

BBD is a much better passer, so other players become dangerous when Davis has the ball.  That's the skill that elevates Davis over Powe.

[RonJohn]

Will Davis get his weight under control and his conditioning where it should be? He's mightily undersized for the position, but makes up for it in width and strength. Not saying that undersized power forwards don't make it but the deck is stacked against them. Leon is also undersized and sometimes has problems blocking out and on defensive rotations. He's had some knee problems in the past but has a knack for putting it in the hoop. I only see minutes for one of them next year and may a trade be in the works? At this point it's too close to call. We'll have to see what happens in the summer. 

[EJPLAYA]

There is a big difference in having "heart" and just loving to play the game, and having enough heart that it translates into the work ethic needed to make you the best player you can be. Powe has the latter. He overcame so many obstacles in his life to put him in the position he is in right now. I sure hope no one is questioning the man's "heart".

BBD on  the other hand has heart and is obviously excited to play as he comes on the floor. No question about it. His problem is that he doesn't have ENOUGH heart to make him want to be the best player he can be. He doesn't spend the time working out like he needs to to mold his body into the shape needed to jump to that next level. He doesn't have the will to eat appropriately so that he doesn't put on bad weight.

If you ask me which I would take, I'll take Powe and his complete desire and "heart" over BBD just loving to play basketball any day. As sad as it is to say, unless he completely changes his lifestyle and attitude BBD will always be a solid player that plays in spurts well, but never realized his potential.

[jaketwice]

I echo what it sounds like most people have been saying: Davis is more intelligent, and has better skills, but Powe is more determined.

As far as I can tell, determination is more important than intelligence (see Allen, Tony).

It would be great if Davis could step up his game.

[Eja117]

I definitely think it's Powe right now. I think he's tougher and might be smarter. I think he's mentally tougher too. But Baby could make huge strides this summer so I'm not sure what the future holds. They're both good though. Neither guy is like a typical rookie or 2nd rounder or anything

[RonJohn]

It's Davis' first year. We need to allow him time this summer to make the proper adjustments. That's the only way the team will know what they have.

[crownsy]

There is a big difference in having "heart" and just loving to play the game, and having enough heart that it translates into the work ethic needed to make you the best player you can be. Powe has the latter. He overcame so many obstacles in his life to put him in the position he is in right now. I sure hope no one is questioning the man's "heart".

BBD on  the other hand has heart and is obviously excited to play as he comes on the floor. No question about it. His problem is that he doesn't have ENOUGH heart to make him want to be the best player he can be. He doesn't spend the time working out like he needs to to mold his body into the shape needed to jump to that next level. He doesn't have the will to eat appropriately so that he doesn't put on bad weight.

If you ask me which I would take, I'll take Powe and his complete desire and "heart" over BBD just loving to play basketball any day. As sad as it is to say, unless he completely changes his lifestyle and attitude BBD will always be a solid player that plays in spurts well, but never realized his potential.

the kid is a rookie and has improved his weight and body type markedly since collage last year, not sure where this lazy work ethic knock came from... lets give him the benifit of the doubt for at least his first off season....