Giannis Antetokounmpo, Who Sent Kevin Durant’s Nets Home in the Playoffs Last Season, Gets Told He “Ain’t KD”

Giannis Antetokounmpo has proven to the world how greatness comes from humble beginnings. The ‘Greek Freak’, as he is popularly known, proved critics wrong as he helped the Bucks win the 2021 title. Moreover, he even has 2 MVP awards to add to his growing list of accolades. Clearly, his emergence to stardom in the NBA is something out of a fairytale. It just feels unreal!

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Over the years, Giannis has been questioned on his leadership whether he could lead his team in the playoffs. He put those questions to bed when he lifted the 2021 NBA title. However, greatness brings comparison along with it. In his most recent comparison debate, Giannis was compared to Kevin Durant where Stephen A. Smith gave the latter star the edge.

Stephen A. Smith on Giannis Antetokounmpo

The discussion started off with Jalen Rose speaking highly on Giannis and mentioning that the star was responsible for eliminating KD and the Nets in the 2021 playoffs. This ticked off Stephen A. Smith. In response, Smith reminded the crew that KD’s Nets were impacted due to the injuries to Kyrie Irving and James Harden. So it was difficult for KD to beat the Bucks without any help. He then added the following to support KD.

“You know good and well that Giannis ain’t KD! Let’s pump the brakes now!” exclaimed Smith.

“Giannis is great. He is phenomenal. He ain’t Kevin Durant!” added Smith.

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Thereafter, Smith mentioned that the ‘flaw’ in Giannis’ game was his perimeter shooting, which is important for a player to have in their arsenal. This attribute is what KD has that gives him the edge over Giannis.

The Greek Freak’s Shooting Over the Years

As stated earlier, Giannis has emerged as one of the NBA’s premier stars. Over the years, he has not only built on his scoring ability but has also contributed through passing and rebounding. He is now a defensive phenom as well. However, most of Giannis’ scoring comes inside the paint. Being a big man, he is able to body his defender for an easy finish. But that does not mean that his jump shooting is poor. Over the years, he has improved on his jump shots, especially along the perimeter.

So clearly, it appears Giannis will only improve. And as long as he continues to do so, the Bucks can rely on him for more success.