I’ve seen a lot of comparisons for Giannis Antetokounmpo strewn across the internet. Some of them are worse than others; all of them are hilariously optimistic.
Kevin Durant. They have the same body, but Kevin Durant’s jumper is a finely tuned machine. Giannis’ jumper looks like how he looks: a mess of flailing arms.
Dirk Nowitzki. Giannis hit a turnaround fadeaway jumper in the preseason, which is apparently enough for some people. Their games aren’t anything alike.
Magic Johnson. This super-raw 15th pick from Greece is apparently similar to the greatest point guard of all time. Cool. Although Giannis does have a nice no-look pass in these highlights.
Nicolas Batum. Hey! This one is somewhat realistic. Giannis could turn into what Nicolas was supposed to be and kind of is; a point-forward who can defend many positions and fill the box score like a maniac.
Anthony Randolph. Actually, this one’s mine. Overhyped tall guy with point guard skills who may not actually be that good? The Magic Man stands as a cautionary tale for people who get too excited about potential. Don’t think I’m dissing Giannis. I just think people should cool out about him a little bit.