Best Athlete: Kevin Durant vs. Anthony Davis vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo

[AussieBuck]

Last I checked his advanced numbers were pretty pedestrian, not overly interested in the appeals to authority guff. Here's hoping he actually starts having the impact his talent suggests. Sorry I don't have a dickish emoticon to sign off with.

[Whirrun]

Last I checked his advanced numbers were pretty pedestrian, not overly interested in the appeals to authority guff. Here's hoping he actually starts having the impact his talent suggests. Sorry I don't have a dickish emoticon to sign off with.

Uh... what? Davis is a top 10 player in the league.

[AussieBuck]

Last I checked his advanced numbers were pretty pedestrian, not overly interested in the appeals to authority guff. Here's hoping he actually starts having the impact his talent suggests. Sorry I don't have a dickish emoticon to sign off with.

Uh... what? Davis is a top 10 player in the league.

So I hear, doesn't seem to have the influence of one though. Curious.

[pelifan]

Last I checked his advanced numbers were pretty pedestrian, not overly interested in the appeals to authority guff. Here's hoping he actually starts having the impact his talent suggests. Sorry I don't have a dickish emoticon to sign off with.

Uh... what? Davis is a top 10 player in the league.

So I hear, doesn't seem to have the influence of one though. Curious.

Name 10 players better. If you include Giannis, I will jump accross this computer and smack you.

[Whirrun]

Last I checked his advanced numbers were pretty pedestrian, not overly interested in the appeals to authority guff. Here's hoping he actually starts having the impact his talent suggests. Sorry I don't have a dickish emoticon to sign off with.

Uh... what? Davis is a top 10 player in the league.

So I hear, doesn't seem to have the influence of one though. Curious.

Theirs a hierarchy of superstars of course, with the top generally reserved for generational talents: LBJ, Durant, Curry, Paul; but no doubt Davis deserves a place amongst those star players that, while elite individual talents, don't quite carry the impact of the tier 1 superstars.

I.e.

Westbrook, Harden, Leonard, Cousins, Aldridge, George, Thompson, Derozan, etc. Davis deserves mention amongst those types. Closer to the front than the back, mind you.

Edit: Btw, Pelicans fans + KG, Davis is still 6'10:

[MyUniBroDavis]

Last I checked his advanced numbers were pretty pedestrian, not overly interested in the appeals to authority guff. Here's hoping he actually starts having the impact his talent suggests. Sorry I don't have a dickish emoticon to sign off with.

Uh... what? Davis is a top 10 player in the league.

So I hear, doesn't seem to have the influence of one though. Curious.

2015 Davis made 30th in the peaks project, and I'm not gonna go through all the trouble to say why

A down year doesn't change anything. Could one argue he was overrated? Yeah.

Can you argue that it wasn't a superstar season?

Absolutely not

[Magic Giannison]

Ermm, what is this ,who cares if he is good great supreme or w/e lets get back on topic of athlete.

[NO-KG-AI]

Meant to post this here earlier. KAT was measured at 6'10.25 in socks at these times, an inch taller than Anthony was at the combine, but they look the same in the second picture, while I can see the difference in Davis' rookie year.





What a freak KAT was. Full center size at 16, just looks like he trimmed his baby fat.

Again, could be angles, and an inch is really reaching and splittingnhairs, but you would definitely think just looking at the changes, that Davis was the younger guy.


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[Ryoga Hibiki]

Off the dribble?

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So, he doesn't move... He just dribbles the ball against the floor and somehow teleports to the basket?

Why isn't Blake Griffin a great slasher? Has an excellent handle for a big.

What we call "first step" is the first explosion from still position, typically triple threat. What Durant does is putting the ball on the floor and then use his handles and quickness to drive. This is more of a technical move and in proportion requires more handles and technique to be complete effectively. Even in highlights shown here, the impressive part on Durant is how he chenges direction with ball, not the acceleration and the jump.
Don't see the point on Griffin, why you bring him up? You think that what is limiting him as slasher is his athleticism? Seriously?

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[MyUniBroDavis]

.

I don't see any reason to believe Davis is the defender you or KG are suggesting. He blocks & contest shots for sure, but he isn't a particularly impactful defender. Meanwhile, KD is able to effectively defend the rim & defend the perimeter at an elite level.

He defended well during the golden state series, but he isn't a defensive stopper or anything. He certainly isn't an elite defender

Huh? Are you trying to say Durant is a stronger finisher than AD because he has better range? That doesn't even make sense. The best finisher at the rim in the league is arguably Deandre Jordan and he isn't effective outside of 3ft.

One could argue his high percentages at the rim is a helped because of his three point threat.

Yes, we're talking about running the floor, which has nothing to do with handling the ball.

What?

No, you're talking about efficiency. I'm smart enough to realize that slightly better efficiency with far less volume makes Davis an overall less effective player in transition.
I mean seriously, the difference in their ppp was .02, yet the difference in their volume was 200 points. How is this even a discussion?

Pointed to a year ago where the difference was more than 0.1ppp, a lot more play type wise. A lot more.
Do you not understand how to calculate volume by using the points per possession, and the possessions?

Yes, that's exactly what it means. If Davis had the athleticism to play on the perimeter, then guess what? That's exactly where he'd play, because that's where he'd provide the biggest mismatches.

or maybe it's because he doesn't do pg stuff anymore?

And don't say he played pg in high school, unless you think he did it at an nba level, including a 6 inch growth spurt where he changed position.

Let me put it this way. Dwight, David, all of them, now less athletic because they don't play in the perimeter

Demarcus Cousins is walking in front of Davis and leaning forward, giving the illusion of being significantly shorter. Here's a more recent picture of them standing face to face:




Also, here:




And here:





Meanwhile:




And:

You realize the difference is basically like an inch or an inch and a half right? Also, most of these pictures had angles, hugging, etc. the first one didn't make sense to post, unless cousins is now Yao Ming

One

Are you forgetting that Durant plays with Russell Westbrook?

So are you saying that Durant will function more as a finisher in the fast break than a guy who handles the ball, compared to an athletic big man?


.....

Whaaat?

AD & Durant are BOTH skilled players with jumpers. Durant is the more dominant player because his athleticism allows him to play on the perimeter, where he's a mismatch of historical proportions. Your John Wall & Curry analogy doesn't hold in this instance because despite Durant & Davis having similar physical profiles in terms of height & length, they do not share positions nor roles because the former is able to do things on the court that the latter cannot from a physical standpoint.

Omg what I'm saying is Durant is a much better shooter and if you take that away from both of their games Davis is clearly better

That's exactly how he plays because that's exactly what he is. I'm still waiting for a Pelicans fan to prove otherwise.

Uhhh, wtf

We've already established that athleticism plays a huge role in slashing to the basket & beating defenders off the bounce. You can stop asking silly questions.

what you are saying is that athleticism is more important in ball handling than ball handling. I said ball handling and shooting

Legit wtf I'm nearly done with this how is it that the realgm survey has Davis as the overwhelming best athlete in the nba, and one down year later people are calling a jumper traditional friggin big man.

[MyUniBroDavis]

Meant to post this here earlier. KAT was measured at 6'10.25 in socks at these times, an inch taller than Anthony was at the combine, but they look the same in the second picture, while I can see the difference in Davis' rookie year.

What a freak KAT was. Full center size at 16, just looks like he trimmed his baby fat.

Again, could be angles, and an inch is really reaching and splittingnhairs, but you would definitely think just looking at the changes, that Davis was the younger guy.

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Ur images aren't showing up

[MyUniBroDavis]

Wait literally, he goes from the general consensus for best athlete in the nba to "Giannis and Kd and deandre and griffin are all more athletic"

Really what?

[AussieBuck]

Uh... what? Davis is a top 10 player in the league.

So I hear, doesn't seem to have the influence of one though. Curious.

Name 10 players better. If you include Giannis, I will jump accross this computer and smack you.

Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Giannis, Lebron.

[AussieBuck]

Wait literally, he goes from the general consensus for best athlete in the nba to "Giannis and Kd and deandre and griffin are all more athletic"

Really what?

I'm not even sure Giannis is the best athlete on the Bucks if that helps.

[MyUniBroDavis]

Wait literally, he goes from the general consensus for best athlete in the nba to "Giannis and Kd and deandre and griffin are all more athletic"

Really what?

I'm not even sure Giannis is the best athlete on the Bucks if that helps.

Boy I'm about to pound you so hard my little kids mom will be jealous.

Well, if I had a kid,or a wife, Or a love life, lol.

[Magic Giannison]

Wait literally, he goes from the general consensus for best athlete in the nba to "Giannis and Kd and deandre and griffin are all more athletic"

Really what?

I'm not even sure Giannis is the best athlete on the Bucks if that helps.

Giannis is by far the most athletic guy on the Bucks. please dont let Jabari explosiveness bring you delusions.

[AussieBuck]

Wait literally, he goes from the general consensus for best athlete in the nba to "Giannis and Kd and deandre and griffin are all more athletic"

Really what?

I'm not even sure Giannis is the best athlete on the Bucks if that helps.

Giannis is by far the most athletic guy on the Bucks. please dont let Jabari explosiveness bring you delusions.

Stronger, quicker step, better leap. Jabari has a lot over Giannis.

[Magic Giannison]

I'm not even sure Giannis is the best athlete on the Bucks if that helps.

Giannis is by far the most athletic guy on the Bucks. please dont let Jabari explosiveness bring you delusions.

Stronger, quicker step, better leap. Jabari has a lot over Giannis.

Highly disagree, Jabari is more explosive and thats it.

[AussieBuck]

I'm utterly shocked you disagree.

[Magic Giannison]

I'm utterly shocked you disagree.

Im utterly shocked as well that how quickly you forget that until this year everyone was laughing a the notion of Jabari being athletic. just because he improved doesn't mean he magically became a great athlete. lets not get ahead of ourselves.