Is Giannis Antetokounmpo the best player in basketball?

dribble1614 · Post #1 » by **dribble1614** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:43 pm

This guy is having yet another monstrous season with 28/12/6 on outstanding efficiency and is an elite 2-way player. He should quite easily be in the running for his 3rd straight MVP award and yet you hear no mention of this. Yes he was disappointing in last season's playoffs but he is also the only superstar who doesn't have any other superstar teammates. Imagine Giannis with the Lakers or Nets supporting cast and another MVP level teammate. They'd win a lot more in the playoffs. Only other guy I'd take over Giannis is a healthy Durant. Embiid currently is the MVP yes, but has no proven history of playing enough games to qualify so still big question mark regarding durability / health.

Maxthirty · Post #2 » by **Maxthirty** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:45 pm

I’m pretty sure this is going to be a resounding no.

LewisnotMiller · Post #3 » by **LewisnotMiller** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:48 pm

Maxthirty wrote:I’m pretty sure this is going to be a resounding no.

Meh...OP talks about MVP, which is a regular season reward.
But the title says 'best player in basketball'.

Those are 2 different questions, in my mind.
He has an argument for MVP, I think, but I wouldn't choose him. No current argument for 'best player in basketball', imho.

Maxthirty · Post #4 » by **Maxthirty** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:53 pm

LewisnotMiller wrote:
Maxthirty wrote:I’m pretty sure this is going to be a resounding no.

Meh...OP talks about MVP, which is a regular season reward.
But the title says 'best player in basketball'.

Those are 2 different questions, in my mind.
He has an argument for MVP, I think, but I wouldn't choose him. No current argument for 'best player in basketball', imho.

They’re definitely different questions. There’s no narrative for best player. There is for MVP.

If Giannis wasn’t the back to back MVP(who then under-performed in the POs) he’d be receiving a lot more MVP praise this year IMO. And he deserves that. He’s just not the best player in the world.

JoeyLightYears · Post #5 » by **JoeyLightYears** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:55 pm

Probably. He's basically where LeBron was in 2010. Unfortunately Giannis' game would have been more suited to the league back in 2010 as well.

iamworthy · Post #6 » by **iamworthy** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:56 pm

Why are people so concerned with who the best player in the league is?

Impuniti · Post #7 » by **Impuniti** » Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:59 pm

He's not even in the top tier until he either learns how to shoot or figures out a way to deal when teams focus on making him shoot towards the end of the game.

Sublime187 · Post #8 » by **Sublime187** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:01 am

Not until proven in the playoffs. Plain and simple.

jlokine · Post #9 » by **jlokine** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:07 am

no, still lebron.. thing is, lebron can turn it on.

durant is a better shooter, lebron is a better playmaker. when lebron plays defense, he's better than durant's defense. if we are talking best player in basketball accounting for all aspects of the game, it's lebron when he feels like it.

Def Leppard · Post #10 » by **Def Leppard** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:29 am

Not in my opinion

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Frank Dux · Post #11 » by **Frank Dux** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:33 am

JoeyLightYears wrote:Probably. He's basically where LeBron was in 2010. Unfortunately Giannis' game would have been more suited to the league back in 2010 as well.

Giannis isn’t close to 2010 Lebron.

I don’t think the past era would be kind to Giannis’ game. He’s very fortunate to play in an era where he can play with 4 shooters which opens up the paint for him to drive to the rim. back in 2010 he would struggle in that regard and would probably have to play more like a traditional big.

Rodwilliams · Post #12 » by **Rodwilliams** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:33 am

Not even top 5.

_qubik · Post #13 » by **_qubik** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:39 am

Giannis is a superb athlete and a hell of close range finisher, he is almost unstopable in those looks, but it where it ends his supremacy. He cant shoot at all, he draws an insane amount of FT but doesnt connect at a good rate, 65% on 10.5 attempts this season, a little lower than his carreer numbers (for efficiency). Its pretty troublesome since a lot of close games is decided with FT, I wouldnt want Giannis shooting the important ones for my team. He isnt a good ballhandler, its pretty good for his size, but it isnt close to elite, he has trouble going through defenses when he doesnt have space to euro step his way to the rim. He isnt a very good passer also, he misses a lot the best passing opportunity. Giannis isnt equipped to be his team primary ballhandler and start plays at the perimeter. He badly need an elite passing guy to play with him. He never proved his value in the playoffs, he never even made the conference finals, because he cant have the same impact against a defense schemed against him, Miami and Toronto were the winners playing zone defense and clogging the paint against him.

Giannis is a hell of a player, but he is far from being flawless or the best active player. He can be one of the best regular season performers, but for me overall he isnt top 5 talent in the league. Lebron is better than Giannis in almost any aspect, KD, Curry, Kawhi all have qualities that are more important than his physical tools.

If he improves his basketball fundamentals, shooting, passing, handling, all teachable skills that you can improve since you train it he can surpass some or even all that guys. Until now Giannis is applying only his athleticism at a high level, until he shows work ethic and effort to improve the other areas he wont be successful in the PO. Also after his extensions the Bucks will have even less resources to improve the roster, if this iteration wont win, it will pretty hard to change a lot, and I truly think this team cant come out of the east.

LewisnotMiller · Post #14 » by **LewisnotMiller** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:40 am

Maxthirty wrote:
LewisnotMiller wrote:
Maxthirty wrote:I’m pretty sure this is going to be a resounding no.

Meh...OP talks about MVP, which is a regular season reward.
But the title says 'best player in basketball'.

Those are 2 different questions, in my mind.
He has an argument for MVP, I think, but I wouldn't choose him. No current argument for 'best player in basketball', imho.

They’re definitely different questions. There’s no narrative for best player. There is for MVP.

If Giannis wasn’t the back to back MVP(who then under-performed in the POs) he’d be receiving a lot more MVP praise this year IMO. And he deserves that. He’s just not the best player in the world.

I find this post completely unfair to me.
I now need to agree and +1 a Lakers fan. This is a cause of great distress.

(j/k)

Pantsman · Post #15 » by **Pantsman** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:43 am

Not with the way bud is playing him. Giannis is unstoppable with the ball down low and all bud wants to do is get him the ball as far away from the basket as possible. They get away with it in the regular season but it always gets exposed in the playoffs.

jdzimme3 · Post #16 » by **jdzimme3** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:45 am

If I am starting a team from scratch he is my number 1 pick with jokic a close second. I believe people over rotate on the idea that the playoffs are a different game.

JJ_PR · Post #17 » by **JJ_PR** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:45 am

JoeyLightYears wrote:Probably. He's basically where LeBron was in 2010. Unfortunately Giannis' game would have been more suited to the league back in 2010 as well.

Disagree. Giannis thrives in today's NBA because of spacing. Back then the 3 pointer wasn't prevalent like it is today.

RoyceDa59 · Post #18 » by **RoyceDa59** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:58 am

LeBron and KD are top 2.

Love Giannis but he can’t shoot and it’s a problem come playoff time.

LewisnotMiller · Post #19 » by **LewisnotMiller** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 12:58 am

jdzimme3 wrote:If I am starting a team from scratch he is my number 1 pick with jokic a close second. I believe people over rotate on the idea that the playoffs are a different game.

I think it depends on the team, and the roster around him.
The Bucks issue has been their lack of an effective plan B, C, D, etc, and that does cause more issue in the playoffs, against better teams, and where you're seeing the same faces multiple times in quick succession.

JoeyLightYears · Post #20 » by **JoeyLightYears** » Tue Feb 23, 2021 1:03 am

JJ_PR wrote:
JoeyLightYears wrote:Probably. He's basically where LeBron was in 2010. Unfortunately Giannis' game would have been more suited to the league back in 2010 as well.

Disagree. Giannis thrives in today's NBA because of spacing. Back then the 3 pointer wasn't prevalent like it is today.

On the flip side, back in 2010 Giannis would never be taking 4 threes a game and might have developed a mid-range game. The game has changed so much because of the three and analytics that the best athletes are marginalized now. I think LBJ was a better player then than Giannis is now, but it's closer than people think because we're looking at it through this lens where Giannis hasn't won anything. Remember that MVP LeBron in 2009 lost to a modern 4-shooter Orlando Magic team, the same sort of team Giannis keeps losing to, but in neither case would I put it on the star players.