Prior to the 2017 NBA draft, Bleacher Report had Jayson Tatum projected as the number-6 pick and compared his game to that of Harrison Barnes. Well, Tatum was taken with the 3rd pick and, thus far, has outpaced the Barnes comparison.
Later comparisons have linked Jayson's game to that of Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant. Ironically, Tatum currently leads Durant in the KIA MVP Ladder with JT at number-2 and KD at number-3.
How about Luka Doncic? NBADraft.Net (pre-draft) compared Luka to Toni Kukoc. He has already surpassed that projection, and some have compared Luka to a combo of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I peg Doncic as a modern replica of Oscar Robertson - both triple-double machines, big guards, not-terribly athletic but able to maneuver into any position on the court to shoot or pass to a teammate. Luka is currently placed at number-4 on the MVP Ladder.
Now to Giannis Antetokounmpo, number-5 on the MVP Ladder. I have never seen an NBA player, past or present, who can be compared to The Greek Freak. So how about a combo of four NBA stars - Shaq, Garnett, Kobe and Magic. Here is Giannis' self-analysis via Yaredbarker.com:
"I don't know. I'd say a little bit of Shaq. The dominance there, getting in the paint. A little bit of Magic. Being able to come down the court, go coast to coast and find teammates, put teammates in the right spot. A little bit of KG, having that edge, that toughness, that mental toughness that nothing can break you. You do whatever it takes. A little bit of Kobe, work ethic. I try to take a little bit of every player. To compare myself with one player, I don't really know. It's a great question."
Shaq: "Dominance, getting into the paint."
Magic: "Come down the court, coast-to-coast, find teammates."
Garnett: "That edge, that toughness, that mental toughness that nothing can break you."
Kobe: "Work ethic."
Near-perfect self-analysis that few can argue with. This Greek phenomenon can not be compared to any single star, past or present.
Excellent article! Spot on!
ReplyDelete