Anthony Davis isn’t facing the same expectations of a typical No. 1 overall draft selection.
A Rookie of the Year award is the minimum, an All-Star appearance is within reach and the evolution of the NBA center may be taking place in New Orleans.
No player has entered the league with his shot blocking pedigree in over two decades.
Davis carried Kentucky to a national championship as a freshman swatting away an astonishing 4.7 blocks per game and turned back 46 more attempts than any other player in the NCAA.
Offensively, he was just as dominant.
Any time the Wildcats used Davis an in offensive set, the team scored on average 1.2 points, more than any other prospect in the 2012 Draft.
His speed made him one of the toughest players to defend, as he scored on 83 percent of his cuts to the basket while at Kentucky and converted 78 percent of his attempts at the rim.
Even though he is capable of handling the ball, in transition or a half court set, Davis averaged just one turnover per game.
The 6-foot-10 shot 62.3 percent from the field while averaging 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.
The learning curve has advanced for the 19-year-old rookie, as skipped suiting up for the Hornets in the Summer League and instead represented Team USA during the Olympics in London.
Anthony Davis is the first player to win an Olympic gold medal without playing in an NBA game since 1992.
Davis won a gold medal, appearing in seven of eight contests during the Olympic tournament, becoming the first player since Christian Laettner in 1992 to win a gold medal before making his NBA debut.
Although he averaged 7.6 minutes, the fewest among the 12 players on the roster, Davis blocked the third most shots on the team while averaging 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and shooting 64.7 percent from the field.
Once pre-season play began, there was little doubt Davis could provide an immediate impact in New Orleans.
The Hornets have new ownership, as New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson purchased the team and a healthy season from Eric Gordon should resurrect the team with the fewest wins in the Western Conference.
The Hornets are a young team with tempered hopes of qualifying for the post season in the brutal Western Conference, Davis has the potential to make the team a legitimate threat this season.
In seven pre-season contests, Davis averaged 14.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and shot 46.7 percent from the floor.
Throughout the pre-season, he sparked New Orleans against Charlotte, scoring 22 points along with nine rebounds. Davis combined with rookie guard Austin Rivers to score seven points during a game changing 12-0 run.
Following his performance against the Bobcats, Davis showed continued improvement throughout the pre-season.
Davis saved his best play for the final three games.
Although he scored just six points while converting 2-of-12 attempts from the field against Dallas, Davis grabbed 17 rebounds, six on the offensive end.
Anthony Davis totaled eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks against Orlando in Mexico City during his pre-season debut.
Two nights later while playing the Rockets, Davis totaled 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
In his final tuneup before the start of the regular season, Davis squared off against league MVP and Olympic teammate LeBron James.
Davis totaled 24 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and a block as the Hornets won 96-89 in Miami.
James has been following Davis’ career since he was a sophomore in high school.
“He grew and grew and continued to grow,” James told ESPN.com. “He’s a special player. New Orleans got a good one.”
The Hornets will find out Wednesday as Davis makes his NBA debut against Tim Duncan and the Spurs.
