Is Giannis Antetokounmpo the best player in basketball?

[Packbuckman]

You're telling me you don't trade Giannis for KD THIS SEASON (forget long term prospects, likelihood to stay with the team, etc.)?

Any GM that would take Giannis over KD for one season is incompetent. Same with Lebron. Same with Kawhi.

Hell no I don’t Giannis is more durable for one plays better D and rebounds the ball way better. Can Durant shoot but the bucks would be worse with him. And the nets would be unstoppable with Giannis

I'm sorry but there is no way KD isn't better than Giannis. This is no slight to Giannis, KD will likely go down as one of the top 10 players to ever play the game.

Where do you think Giannis is going to be ranked at the end of the day? I know way down the list somewhere not me I think Giannis ceiling is just higher than Durant no slight to him. When it’s all said and done you can put their careers side by side when Giannis wins titles it won’t be because of teaming up. By the way Giannis ceiling is top 10 player I don’t have Durant that high maybe top 20.

[IzzyT]

Cant compare Giannis to Gobert until he starts full time at the 5. Yes, he provides great weak side help. Before this year, he wasn’t even the best overall rim protector on his own team. That was Lopez.

He’s a more valuable player at the 5.

Hard for him to be the “best” when he can’t reliably create offense with the ball in his hand, though. Absolutely no counters in his game.

[Pachinko_]

I'm not doubting that. I'm a Raptors fan and I see the value of strong defenders with Siakam and OG, and also see it being continuously discounted when rating the player. At the same time, point stands that defense is team based.

Giannis has the Bucks 10th on DRTG; they were 1st last year and a couple role players left and even with Giannis there, it slipped.
Harden had the Rockets 6th on ORTG last year; he left and they have fallen all the way down to 26th. If he was there and a bunch of role players left, he'd still be around 6th.

Individual players and especially stars have a larger impact on offense than on defense. So offense will get valued higher.

It's not though.
It is only valued higher in the minds or the media and the fans, but the people who actually make the decisions in basketball ie the teams, coaches and GMs, value it the same. That's the reason Utah had zero problems paying $200m to Gobert, a career average 14ppg guy (and Utah kicks butt by the way).

Give me a quote from Nurse or Masai saying that offense is more valuable than defense.
Or from anyone whose opinion matters, not a talking head, but someone who is actually responsible for building a winning team.

[theFireBlanket]

Watch on YouTube

Keep sleeping. A little adversity on his way to proving it, but he'll be evidently on top soon enough.

[jlokine]

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.

its no longer when lebron "feels like it", its when he can... cause hes getting old and tired for first time ive ever seen recently.
the stats wont tell you that but watch last few games and its visible.

Regular season, bro.

[johanliebert]

Harden/lebron were better in his MVP years. I don’t believe giannis was ever the best player but he’s top 5.

[johanliebert]

Hell no I don’t Giannis is more durable for one plays better D and rebounds the ball way better. Can Durant shoot but the bucks would be worse with him. And the nets would be unstoppable with Giannis

I'm sorry but there is no way KD isn't better than Giannis. This is no slight to Giannis, KD will likely go down as one of the top 10 players to ever play the game.

Where do you think Giannis is going to be ranked at the end of the day? I know way down the list somewhere not me I think Giannis ceiling is just higher than Durant no slight to him. When it’s all said and done you can put their careers side by side when Giannis wins titles it won’t be because of teaming up. By the way Giannis ceiling is top 10 player I don’t have Durant that high maybe top 20.

At 26 KD accomplished more as a player. Kd is arguably the best scorer of all time I’m not sure where Greek will be ranked these next few years will shape the narrative but his lack of skill will hurt him in the long run.

[GSP]

Regular season player

Bron, Kd, Jokic, Kawhi, Ad and even Harden recently are clearly better in the playoffs. Steph as well.

[hege53190]

I love listening to Giannis hot takes on the general board over the years. It is awesome.

ANTHONY RANDOLPH PART 2

CAN'T MAKE IT OUT OF THE FIRST ROUND

WILL NEVER RE-SIGN WITH THE BUCKS

Now at 26, Anointing players that have to beg off their team to have playoff success that is expected out of Giannis as better playoff options.


I mean what happens if Giannis Beats Durant AND Harden this year plus another All-star Starter? Is he the best playoff performer of all-time.

Or if he doesn't beat them is it just another Choke job?

And the last time Kevin Durant had to play in the playoffs without another top 5 player in the league plus another all-star he shot 43% from the floor and 28% from 3 for the playoffs and pissed away a 3-1 lead. Remember that before ranking him above Giannis.

[Pg81]

I'm sorry but there is no way KD isn't better than Giannis. This is no slight to Giannis, KD will likely go down as one of the top 10 players to ever play the game.

Where do you think Giannis is going to be ranked at the end of the day? I know way down the list somewhere not me I think Giannis ceiling is just higher than Durant no slight to him. When it’s all said and done you can put their careers side by side when Giannis wins titles it won’t be because of teaming up. By the way Giannis ceiling is top 10 player I don’t have Durant that high maybe top 20.

At 26 KD accomplished more as a player. Kd is arguably the best scorer of all time I’m not sure where Greek will be ranked these next few years will shape the narrative but his lack of skill will hurt him in the long run.

No.

[TheGOATRises007]

No he isn't.

[dribble1614]

bump

[Barnzy]

bump

No.

[dribble1614]

at the very least, how is he not consensus top 2 for mvp? only embiid has as good or better of a case for mvp.

mvp is a regular season award. media and fans should not allow prior years’ playoffs shortcomings affect their mvp rankings of today’s regular season.

[Vampirate]

Great player, but to be called the best he has to drag that Roster to the finals imo if not win a championship.

[skones]

I think Jokic has performed better than any single player in the league this season. The single best player overall is Lebron.

[Barnzy]

at the very least, how is he not consensus top 2 for mvp? only embiid has as good or better of a case for mvp.

mvp is a regular season award. media and fans should not allow prior years’ playoffs shortcomings affect their mvp rankings of today’s regular season.

You can say it's regular season all you want. Giannis could average 35-15-10 this year and he will not win MVP. You can take that to the bank.

[Packbuckman]

Harden/lebron were better in his MVP years. I don’t believe giannis was ever the best player but he’s top 5.

Whatever sure they were in your dreams. Giannis actually plays Defense too.

[Gibson22]

wildly underrated

[Vladimir777]

Very good, but not the best player in basketball. He's top 5. Until he brings it to the playoffs, he won't be the consensus best player in basketball. Even RealGM, which has worshipped Giannis the past few years, has clearly changed its tone, given the responses to this topic. If you asked this question in 2020 or 2019, I think close to 50% would've said yes. Now it's more like 10%, at most.