Giannis Antetokounmpo vs Kevin Durant: How have the former MVPs fared against each other in the NBA so far?
When Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant take the floor today, we will be treated to a clash of titans as two of the best players in the NBA face off against each other.
Of course, we've seen these matchups before. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the unstoppable force on the open floor, vs. Kevin Durant, pure skill and scoring neatly wrapped into a man-mountain seven-foot body.
However, just because we've seen these two highly talented ballers go at it doesn't mean we won't enjoy seeing it again. Having said that, it does make you wonder: who has had more success against the other? Is it Kevin Durant or the continually impressive Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Who will be this year's MVP?
Here's how NBA GMs voted in their annual survey:
Kevin Durant, 37%
Luka Doncic, 33%
Giannis Antetokounmpo, 13%
Joel Embiid, 7%
James Harden, 7%
Steph Curry, 3%
Durant and the Nets popped up quite a bit throughout the survey:
basketballnews.com/stories/nba-gm…
According to StatHead, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant have faced off on a total of 13 regular season occasions. The Brooklyn Nets star took the Lions' share of the spoils, winning a total of nine games. Of course, a quick bit of math gives Giannis Antetokounmpo a paltry return of just 4 wins in 13 contests against arguably the best player in the NBA right now.
Over those 13 games, the Milwaukee Bucks star has averaged 25.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists on 50% shooting from the field. Kevin Durant has surpassed those averages, notching 26.1 points, 6 assists, and 7.6 rebounds on 46.5% shooting and 42% shooting from beyond the arc.
Both players have NBA championships to their name, but Kevin Durant has more. It seems like the Brooklyn Nets star outdoing his Milwaukee Bucks counterpart is a running theme. However, with more skin in the game (Durant has been in the league considerably longer), this should be expected.
But those are regular-season games, I hear you say, and you (rightly) think that post-season success is more important. Let's take a look at those numbers too.
Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have shared a playoff floor together on seven occasions, with the results far closer than their regular-season battles. The Milwaukee Bucks have seen four victories over those seven games, with Giannis Antetokounmpo averaging a double-double in points and rebounds.
The full statistical numbers for both players are as follows;
A quick glance will show how closely fought this pair's encounters truly are. Of course, you have to account for playstyle and accept that Durant's field goal percentage is always going to sit lower than Antetokounmpo's due to their differences in shot profile.
Kevin Durant is going to attack the three-point line and mid-range regions, while Giannis Antetokounmpo will focus on getting to the rack as often as possible.
In the modern NBA, Durant is easier to build a team around, as he doesn't require the high level of spacing that Antetokounmpo does. However, that doesn't make one better than the other. At this point, we just have to accept that their games are different but equally as effective.
LeBron can't hang with Kevin Durant or Giannis anymore, according to Bill Simmons. https://t.co/LfcSsUI2vf
The bigger question is: how did Kevin Durant create such a commanding lead in regular-season meetings against Giannis Antetokounmpo? It's quite simple, really. During the early years of the Milwaukee Bucks' development, Kevin Durant was part of the Golden State Warriors dynasty, where he shared the floor with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
During this phase, the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo were both developing their identity and weren't ready to hang with the league's elite teams. To be honest, it wouldn't have mattered, as that era of Golden State Warriors basketball was borderline unstoppable and will go down in history as one of the greatest dynasties of all time.
Things are a little different now, though. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are the reigning NBA champions, while the Brooklyn Nets are leading the chasing pack. Two superstars are leading their teams into battle, but only one team can be labeled a superteam.
Brooklyn and Milwaukee have gone about their roster construction in very different ways but have produced similar results. The Nets have a roster littered with star names, old and current, and boast arguably the greatest amount of firepower the NBA has ever seen. Meanwhile, the Bucks are built to accentuate Giannis Antetokounmpo's unique skillset while also relying on Khris Middleton's clutch shooting gene.
The result of today's meeting between this star duo may be meaningless, but watching two of the league's elite players go at it is TV you can't miss.
The result won't go down on record, and no one will be keeping score outside of the coaching staff. However, when players this good go head-to-head, there's nothing you can do other than sit back and watch.
Also Read: Who are Giannis’ parents?