The long arms are the same, and so is the stoic facade.

The most anticipated rookie in the NBA this season combines a superstar’s skill set with a 12th-man’s work ethic, and a capacity for detail that borders on obsessive-compulsive.

So it is not without merit that New Orleans’ Anthony Davis — the precocious 19-year-old from Kentucky drafted No. 1 overall in June — has earned impossible billing as “The Next Tim Duncan” among some NBA observers.

Since June, when Davis arrived like 6-foot, 10-inches of manna from heaven, the Hornets’ brass has tried to tamp down expectations surrounding the presumptive NBA Rookie of the Year.

After Davis ran rampant for 24 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in New Orleans’ 96-89 victory over defending champion Miami, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra became the latest to drop the “T.D.” comparison.

“He’s got the whole package,” Spoelstra said. “A lot of qualities that were similar to Tim Duncan when he was young.”

via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News