A Friendly Reminder: Greek Freak Selected 15th Overall

[WildlifeAirGrp]

Granted, we traded our pick for Jrue, so I am not upset. Just saying, it's a crap shoot. Giannis is everything that AD should be. But what do I know?

[Pelicanidae]

Granted, we traded our pick for Jrue, so I am not upset. Just saying, it's a crap shoot. Giannis is everything that AD should be. But what do I know?

On paper, Giannis is a far inferior player to AD.

AD is a more skilled rebounder. He's a better defender, on the perimeter and at the rim. He's got a better and more reliable midrange shot, and even though AD is no sniper, he's a better three point shooter too.

The difference? Giannis always give it 110% effort, whereas AD can be discouraged or sulky sometimes. That's it. It shows you how much of basketball is a mental game, because Giannis is so much worse than AD at so many things, but he just has the grit and grind and effort and intensity that AD sometimes lacks.

[Eman5805]

Giannis doesn't have an awkward bone in his body. He doesn't fall down when someone breathes on him. He finishes strong. He gets after it. He's just a poor shooter. But that's immaterial.

[AUSSIE_PELICAN]

On paper, Giannis is a far inferior player to AD.

AD is a more skilled rebounder. He's a better defender, on the perimeter and at the rim. He's got a better and more reliable midrange shot, and even though AD is no sniper, he's a better three point shooter too.

The difference? Giannis always give it 110% effort, whereas AD can be discouraged or sulky sometimes. That's it. It shows you how much of basketball is a mental game, because Giannis is so much worse than AD at so many things, but he just has the grit and grind and effort and intensity that AD sometimes lacks.

I think you forgot to mention that Giannis can create for himself and others. Davis cannot.

[GuardianAngel25]

The difference is basketball isn’t played in paper. Giannis is much more then just effort and are completely ignoring what he is great at. Giannis isn’t the best shooter and that is it. But another thing he isn’t very good to great at.

[Pelicanidae]

The difference is basketball isn’t played in paper. Giannis is much more then just effort and are completely ignoring what he is great at. Giannis isn’t the best shooter and that is it. But another thing he isn’t very good to great at.

Well done for reading the entire post and not just responding to the first sentence, is what I would say if you had done that.

[Pelicanidae]

I think you forgot to mention that Giannis can create for himself and others. Davis cannot.

I don't even buy that, tbh. Davis has added to his skillset every year since he joined the NBA, and before the trade demand he was averaging 4.5 assists per game. While yes, Giannis averaged 5.9 (which is more) it's not a lightyears difference, and is largely down to their individual styles of play: AD plays offball because he can shoot and play in space. Giannis doesn't, because he can't, because he can't shoot.

Equally, does Giannis create more for himself than AD? Sure, but not as much as people would have you think. Giannis, IIRC, had about 45% of his shots this year assisted. AD had 61% of his shots assisted. Is that more? Sure it is, but again, a large part of that is due to a difference in skillset. You can have AD play off ball, either to catch and shoot or in the PnP and get the pass, whereas you can't do that as much for Giannis because Giannis can't catch and shoot or pop from the pick.

It's one of those distinctions without substance. Yes, Giannis averaged more assists than AD and yes, fewer of his shots were assisted, but is that because Giannis is better at those things than AD was this year, or because Giannis is being utilised in a way that emphasises those skills because he can't play in alternate styles because of his limited offensive range?