Giannis Adetokoubo: 18 year old freak of nature

[Cavatt]

He is actually in my top5 of best players in the entire league. Laugh at me if you want, but I believe it to be true. A great two-way player already at age 22. He only needs to improve his shot and perhaps get a bit stronger and he will be in the conversation for the best player on the planet.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHniAN4sgqg

I think he has the highest upside of any young star for sure. People are saying he can't be the new Lebron, but he is closer than Durant IMO. Lebron just started at a higher level than Giannis. Provided no career altering injuries he is going to be a truly unique player and I think the best player in the league when Lebron retires.

 

[Cassity14]

I get that we really hate Durant around here, but he's still the second best player in the world, no? I love me some Giannis, but he's not on the truly elite level yet. He could get there, or he could plateau a bit like Anothony Davis arguably has.

LeBron, Durant, and Kawhi are my top 3 players in the league. I'd personally put Davis in the top 5 as well. Maybe Giannis is fifth? Idk.

 

[Jstock12]

I get that we really hate Durant around here, but he's still the second best player in the world, no? I love me some Giannis, but he's not on the truly elite level yet. He could get there, or he could plateau a bit like Anothony Davis arguably has.

LeBron, Durant, and Kawhi are my top 3 players in the league. I'd personally put Davis in the top 5 as well. Maybe Giannis is fifth? Idk.

Durant has such a deceptive impact in my opinion. I do think he's an elite player, but I genuinely think that he has a similar impact to Giannis. Most of KD's impact is from his elite offense. Giannis, while offensively not as strong YET, is a great TWO-WAY player.

LeBron, Kawhi and Giannis are the best two-way players in the league.

 

[The Oi]

Where would we put Andrea Bargnani on the list?

 

[Jstock12]

Where would we put Andrea Bargnani on the list?

 

[Jscc]

This is a historic time for wing talent in the NBA too, no?

LeBron James
Kevin Durant
Kawhi Leonard
Giannis Antetokounmpo
James Harden
Paul George
Jimmy Butler
Klay Thompson
Andrew Wiggins
Bradley Beal
DeMar DeRozan
CJ McCollum
Devin Booker
Carmelo Anthony
Gordon Hayward

 

[cavsfever]

It's a historic time for talent, period. Look at the top PG talent:

Chris Paul
Kyrie Irving
Stephen Curry
Russell Westbrook
John Wall
Mike Conley
Isaiah Thomas
Damian Lillard

that's not even counting Kyle Lowry, Kemba Walker, etc. And more will be added to the list out of the 2017 draft

I feel like part of this is that we always look at the offensive end and the rules changes really benefit small perimeter players offensively. I sort of divide these lists into players who would be great in any era and players who would be good in most eras but seem great in this one.

But no question the NBA has seen a huge influx of talent. Last year or two we have seen a wave of great new centers come in, which seemed to be a position that was lagging.

 

[Cassity14]

Durant has such a deceptive impact in my opinion. I do think he's an elite player, but I genuinely think that he has a similar impact to Giannis. Most of KD's impact is from his elite offense. Giannis, while offensively not as strong YET, is a great TWO-WAY player.

LeBron, Kawhi and Giannis are the best two-way players in the league.

I'm of the opinion that Durant has actually been an awesome defender over the last three or so seasons. His bad rep from early on hurts that view, but I think he's a great defender in his own right.

 

[Jstock12]

I'm of the opinion that Durant has actually been an awesome defender over the last three or so seasons. His bad rep from early on hurts that view, but I think he's a great defender in his own right.

I think calling him awesome/great defender is really stretching it. Now I'm definitely not saying he's a liability, just not nearly in the same league defensively as Kawhi/LeBron, or even Giannis. It's hard to be a defensive liability with that quickness and length after all.