A common question that arises among basketball fans is “who’s next?”

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul are considered by fans to be four of the best players in the NBA, but who is going to come after them? Who is going to be the next perennial All-NBA, MVP candidate?

There are several candidates, Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers, DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, but Anthony Davis, the 6-foot-10, 220-pound power forward from the University of Kentucky, is someone who most analysts say is the guy.

With a wingspan that stretches over 7 feet and the athleticism to match, Davis was projected to be similar to Kevin Garnett, someone who can rebound, defend different positions, block shots, and contribute offensively. He was thought to be someone who was not necessarily a project that would take a while to develop, but a player who would need time to reach his potential. This has not been the case at all.

Davis has quickly become one of the premier players in the entire league. He was voted the third best player in the NBA by ESPN in their annual NBA Rank piece. He has gone from the consensus number one pick in the NBA draft to one of the best players in the game today.

What separates Davis from other players of the same age in the league is success and uniqueness. There is no one like him; he is a mixture of Hall of Famers Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson, and current icons Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.

Because he can score off of pick-and-rolls, offensive putbacks, mid-range jump shots and transition shots, he is a hassle to guard.

He also projects to be a beast defensively. In his first game of this season, he had nine blocks, which is very rare. Although he is prone to lapses on the defensive end, he is growing and improving as a player.

Anthony Davis has been able to grow because of his teammates. When Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans joined the New Orleans Pelicans, many expected Jrue to be the primary ball handler out of the pick-and-roll. This has not been the case, as Evans has taken the reins of main ball handler in pick-and-roll situations. The Evans-Davis pick-and-roll has been borderline cheating this year because defenses have to decide if they want to let Evans drive to the basket for an easy two, or let Davis get an easy dunk.

Part of the reason why Davis is able to get so many easy buckets is because of how fast he is for his size. He is able to outrun his man and even guards, allowing him to be open for lots of easy transition opportunities. He has also developed a nice midrange jump shot that he can knock down even off the dribble.

There are several good young players out there, but Anthony Davis has a strong case to be the player to lead in a new era of basketball.