sidney lanier wrote:Villanoeyebrows wrote:I think Giannis is going to be such a unique player, that there will be no stylistic comparison. I mean, let's say he becomes 75% of the defender that Garnett was in his prime. And let's say that he adds one dominant post move and a counter. And let's say that his ball handling and shot improve even on an average progression in respect to his age and experience. I'm not sure there has ever been a 6'11 player that has brought all that to the table.
There's always a comparison, but there's never an exact match. That's the fun and usefulness of these kinds of discussions for me. You posit similarities, but you have to acknowledge differences as well, and there's a lot to Giannis that may prove (in the root sense of the word) incomparable.
If the Pippen comparison seems right to some (including me), I think wingspan and stride length have a lot to do with it. Despite their height difference, Giannis and Scottie have/had about the same wingspan (variously reported up to about 7'4"). Both also exploit/exploited their long arms and legs to do things on both ends of the court that leave a strong visual impression. Pippen driving had about the longest stride I can remember after young Wilt, and Giannis's stride may be longer.
Sure. I think we are both (all) excited about the possibility that we might see some things from Giannis that have never been put together in one package. Getting in to the minutiae of what constitutes a comparison would be silly. This might be getting off track, but I still think there is a strong chance that Jabari will be a better overall player. And yet, I am drawn to Giannis, since there is that possibility of something that breaks any mold that has been used in the past. This is the most fascinating current part of Bucks basketball to me, watching him develop the habits and tendencies and rivalries that will ultimately shape the kind of player this shape shifting perimeter oriented seven footer turns in to.
