Is Giannis Antetokounmpo the best player in basketball?

[MindState]

No.
KD
Lebron
Harden
Kawhi
Davis when healthy
Embiid (officially past him)

Are all better

He is in the Luka, Curry, Jokic tier

AD is not a top 10 player dude. Hes in the top 15 range. He was top 10 last year but this year he lost his spot.

[bamheat]

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.

Lebron led the worse supporting cast ever to the Finals at age 22 years old and had one of the greatest playoff performances of all time during that run (Game 5 Detriot)

So no...no Giannis is definitely not where Lebron is at.

[ahmetmekin]

Not even close. The heat completely neutralized the guy to the point that his team looked better without him. He is more of a best second option type guy. Pair him with guys like Luka, Curry or Dame then he will look unfair.

[Statlanta]

I see Giannis as the biggest beneficiary of the offensive boom post-2004. He gets to have the ball in his hands from the perimeter playing 5 out while he barrels into the lane like a combination of Connie Hawkins and Shaq. He has the least amount of skill of the top 10 players and is the most overhyped player in the league for some reason.

[JN61]

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.

LeBron doesn't know how to shoot.

I hope this is a joke.

Or seem to understand when to stop. 2/10 yesterday night from 3 and losing the game by bricking the shots.

[Pachinko_]

The realgm general board is a parallel universe in which defense doesn't matter.

And in that parallel universe, Giannis, who is basically Gobert + some other stuff, still gets a mention as best player in the world. Just for the other stuff.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is really **** impressive if you think about it.

[Slim Charless]

Not even close. The heat completely neutralized the guy to the point that his team looked better without him. He is more of a best second option type guy. Pair him with guys like Booker, Luka, Curry or Dame then he will look unfair.

FTFY

[KGtabake]

You can't be the best player and go 1/10 from the line. Especially when you are the MVP.
"It happens"? No it doesn't happen.
He seems to have sort it out lately but question yourself: Game on the line in the playoffs and he has the chance to win it with a pair. Do you trust him? I don't.
Until he makes it the response won't change.

[70sFan]

You can't be the best player and go 1/10 from the line. Especially when you are the MVP.

So Shaq and Wilt weren't the best players in the league?

[God Squad]

Absolutely not, and at this point I don't think anyone would think he is.

[KGtabake]

You can't be the best player and go 1/10 from the line. Especially when you are the MVP.

So Shaq and Wilt weren't the best players in the league?

Different eras, different positions.
Back then, centers were a thing. It was no surprise to watch a big being bad from the line. And it didn't make much of a difference.
Giannis ain't a center. He starts his offense from beyond the arc and he gets fouled a lot with all the contact. He has to make the throws much more than Wilt and Shaq.

If he makes his throws, they will win the trophy.
Hell, they would have been champions since 2019 if he wasn't shooting 47% from the line in the 4 defeats against Toronto.

The most dominant? Yes. The most valuable? Yes. The best? No.

[70sFan]

You can't be the best player and go 1/10 from the line. Especially when you are the MVP.

So Shaq and Wilt weren't the best players in the league?

Different eras, different positions.
Back then, centers were a thing. It was no surprise to watch a big being bad from the line. And it didn't make much of a difference.
Giannis ain't a center. He starts his offense from beyond the arc and he gets fouled a lot with all the contact. He has to make the throws much more than Wilt and Shaq.

If he makes his throws, they will win the trophy.
Hell, they would have been champions since 2019 if he wasn't shooting 47% from the line in the 4 defeats against Toronto.

The most dominant? Yes. The most valuable? Yes. The best? No.

All you just said makes no sense to me... Most dominant and valuable, but not the best? What does it even mean?

FT shooting hasn't got better since 1970 basically.

[KGtabake]

So Shaq and Wilt weren't the best players in the league?

Different eras, different positions.
Back then, centers were a thing. It was no surprise to watch a big being bad from the line. And it didn't make much of a difference.
Giannis ain't a center. He starts his offense from beyond the arc and he gets fouled a lot with all the contact. He has to make the throws much more than Wilt and Shaq.

If he makes his throws, they will win the trophy.
Hell, they would have been champions since 2019 if he wasn't shooting 47% from the line in the 4 defeats against Toronto.

The most dominant? Yes. The most valuable? Yes. The best? No.

All you just said makes no sense to me... Most dominant and valuable, but not the best? What does it even mean?

FT shooting hasn't got better since 1970 basically.

It means that KD for example, isn't more dominant than Giannis and he isn't more valuable to his team than Giannis is for the Bucks but he's a better player overall.

[limbo]

He is not the best until he becomes a more consistent performer with less drops in production/impact against elite Playoff defenses. But in terms of carrying a team in the RS to the top, yeah, he has a good argument... He consistently brings it on a high level on both sides, which most players don't or can't and he's usually very good at staying healthy.

[Matches Malone]

For now no, but I think many people here who don’t watch him regularly and are only spewing the same playoff mumbo jumbo, or he can’t shoot, are going to be surprised at the adjustments he’s making over the course of the season that could help them come playoff time.

He’s setting more screens for the pick and roll, he’s making plays from the elbow, he’s showing flashes of new post moves we’ve never seen from him before. It may not get them a ring this year, but adding those little layers in his game after realizing he can’t bulldoze his way in the playoffs, will be beneficial for him and the Bucks in the long run.

[70sFan]

Different eras, different positions.
Back then, centers were a thing. It was no surprise to watch a big being bad from the line. And it didn't make much of a difference.
Giannis ain't a center. He starts his offense from beyond the arc and he gets fouled a lot with all the contact. He has to make the throws much more than Wilt and Shaq.

If he makes his throws, they will win the trophy.
Hell, they would have been champions since 2019 if he wasn't shooting 47% from the line in the 4 defeats against Toronto.

The most dominant? Yes. The most valuable? Yes. The best? No.

All you just said makes no sense to me... Most dominant and valuable, but not the best? What does it even mean?

FT shooting hasn't got better since 1970 basically.

It means that KD for example, isn't more dominant than Giannis and he isn't more valuable to his team than Giannis is for the Bucks but he's a better player overall.

There is no reason to believe that KD is better player than Giannis at this point.

[Packbuckman]

Different eras, different positions.
Back then, centers were a thing. It was no surprise to watch a big being bad from the line. And it didn't make much of a difference.
Giannis ain't a center. He starts his offense from beyond the arc and he gets fouled a lot with all the contact. He has to make the throws much more than Wilt and Shaq.

If he makes his throws, they will win the trophy.
Hell, they would have been champions since 2019 if he wasn't shooting 47% from the line in the 4 defeats against Toronto.

The most dominant? Yes. The most valuable? Yes. The best? No.

All you just said makes no sense to me... Most dominant and valuable, but not the best? What does it even mean?

FT shooting hasn't got better since 1970 basically.

It means that KD for example, isn't more dominant than Giannis and he isn't more valuable to his team than Giannis is for the Bucks but he's a better player overall.

The only difference is that wilt and shaq never shot 77% from line which Giannis has on multiple seasons. His body has changed so much he had to adjust his shot but now his shot looks way smoother and fluid again. If he continues on that mid 70’s from free throw line it changes everything for him and this team.And I would take Giannis over Durant in a heartbeat better rebounder and defender is Durant a better shooter yes overall Giannis is better if you factor in defense and how much a defense keys on him.

[KGtabake]

There is no reason to believe that KD is better player than Giannis at this point.

KD is a very good defender and a pretty good passer. Scoring wise there's no comparison.
It's a matter of preference i guess. For me KD is the best in the world since 2017.

The only difference is that wilt and shaq never shot 77% from line which Giannis has on multiple seasons. His body has changed so much he had to adjust his shot but now his shot looks way smoother and fluid again. If he continues on that mid 70’s from free throw line it changes everything for him and this team.And I would take Giannis over Durant in a heartbeat better rebounder and defender is Durant a better shooter yes overall Giannis is better if you factor in defense and how much a defense keys on him.

IF... that's a big "if". And i know he's in the mid70s for his career but we're talking about the playoffs here.
Game on the line i would prefer the entire bucks roster to shoot free throws instead of Giannis.
As for the comparison with KD see above. It's a matter of preference, i get it.

[Ugalde]

i love giannis but until his shooting or even just his passing get better he can’t be the best player

[70sFan]

There is no reason to believe that KD is better player than Giannis at this point.

KD is a very good defender and a pretty good passer. Scoring wise there's no comparison.
It's a matter of preference i guess. For me KD is the best in the world since 2017.

KD is nothing special as a defender and rebounder. It's a myth that's being repeated time and time again.

What's Durant's case over LeBron? That his teams were notably morw talented?