Giannis Antetokounmpo vs Anthony Davis: Which of these 1x NBA champions have had a better career so far and what does the future hold for them?
There has been a debate on who is the better power forward in the NBA between the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis. Although they have very different playing styles, the conversation of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis will always be talked about. The comparison is one that has been on for almost the entirety of their careers.
To better understand and effectively compare both players, we will be dissecting this piece into sections; scoring tally, defensive prowess, awards & honors won and leadership.
Scoring Tally
Giannis Antetokounmpo was the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. He went on to lead the Bucks to their second NBA championship title in the 2020-21 playoffs season, recording an average of 30.2 points, 12.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
During the regular season, the "Greek Freak" had an average of 28.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks. He has a career average of 20.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists in 589 games played. His athleticism and unprecedented combination make him difficult to defend against.
Anthony Davis, on the other hand, was selected by the New Orleans Hornets as the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. In 2019, Davis was traded off to the Los Angeles Lakers by the New Orleans Pelicans. He helped the Lakers win the 2019-20 NBA championship title, averaged 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.4 assists.
AD averaged 21.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game during the regular season. He has a career average of 23.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.3 blocks per game, having been fielded for an average of 34.4 minutes in 564 games played.
Anthony Davis has under his belt a total of 13,463 points scored, while Giannis Antetokounmpo has 12,319 points. Antetokounmpo has scored more from the field with a field goal of 53.2% compared to Davis 51.4%, but Davis' versatility and his range make him dependable.
Defensive Prowess
Antetokounmpo is a versatile player on defense with the ability to defend all positions, such defensive prowess is difficult to find in the NBA. Davis' lack of athleticism in comparison to Antetokounmpo makes him an easier target for opponents to go against.
It would be unfair to compare both players defensively using the 2020-21 stats bearing in mind that Davis missed a good number of games due to an injury spell and was only featured in 23 games for the Lakers.
In the 2019-20 season where both players were competing for the Defensive Player of the Year award, with Davis on the court, opponents shot 52.1% effective field goal percentage and 50.5% without him present. However, with Giannis, the reverse was the case. When he was off the court, opponents shot an effective field goal percentage of 50.8% and 47.2% with him on the court. He clearly had a better defensive presence on the court than his counterpart. He was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2019-20 NBA season and was in the running to clinch the 2020-21 season DPOY award but lost to Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.
Giannis Antetokounmpo beats out Anthony Davis and Rudy Gobert for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award
Awards & Honors Won
Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in the league's history to complete a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics (total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks), having led the Bucks' chart in all five categories in the 2016-17 NBA season. He was also named the Most Improved Player of the Year in the same year. He made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in his debut season.
Giannis has received five consecutive All-Star selections from 2017 through to 2021. He was announced as the NBA's Most Valuable Player of the Year in both 2019 and 2020. In August 2020, he was awarded the Most Defensive Player of the Year, beating Davis to it. He has also been selected to the All-Defensive Team four times.
📅 On this day in 2020, Giannis Antetokounmpo won his second consecutive NBA MVP Award, becoming the third player to be named MVP and DPOY in the same season.
He also became the third player to win multiple MVP Awards before turning 26 years old. https://t.co/fdbvK5iVfr
Giannis and the Bucks are the reigning NBA champions, and he was also awarded the 2021 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
Anthony Davis was selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2013 and has made it to the All-Defensive Team four times. The three-time NBA block leader (2014, 2015 and 2018) has made it to the All-Star team for eight consecutive years (2014-2021). He won the 2017 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award and has been selected to the All-NBA First Team four times (2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020).
In 2020, Davis won the NBA championship ring with the Lakers. He is yet to win the Most Defensive Player of the Year award.
Leadership
Giannis Antetokounmpo has proven over time that he is a better leader than Davis, having led an average Milwaukee Bucks team to the playoffs and went on to win the championship title. He is currently considered the most dominant player in the NBA and will become the new face of the league in no distant time. Giannis is the singular reason the Bucks can be considered title contenders being the reigning champions.
While Anthony Davis is a very good player, he is far off in comparison in terms of leadership, being unable to lead the New Orleans Pelicans past the first round of the playoffs. His success is ultimately tied to the already established Lakers, led by LeBron James. His nasty exit from the Pelicans has also come into question as an attitude found to be uncommon among leaders.
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