"They are very LeBron James numbers... KD was never the best player in this league" - Colin Cowherd crowns Giannis Antetokounmpo as the best player in NBA
After taking down the Chicago Bulls, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are on a collison course with the red-hot Boston Celtics. With Khris Middleton out due to an MCL sprain, the defending champs will be fighting an uphill battle as they look to repeat.
Over the past few years, Giannis Antetokounmpo has cemented himself in the upper echelon of NBA superstars. He is a multi-time MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, champion and Finals MVP. The scary part is, he's only 27-years-old.
Following Milwaukee's domination of the Bulls, FS1's Colin Cowherd made a bold statement. He put Giannis in the same category as LeBron James while also crowning him as the league's best player right now:
"It's so obvious now that Giannis is the best player. ... There are some numbers in the postseason that are very LeBron James numbers."
In five games against the Bulls, Antetokounmpo averaged 28.6 points, 13.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.4 blocks. Like a majority of the NBA, Chicago had absolutely no answer to slowing him down once he got rolling.
"Giannis is better than KD has ever been. I hate to break it to you. KD was never the best player in this league."
— @ColinCowherd https://t.co/c3CSZjrBwE
Giannis Antetokounmpo has strong case as NBA's top player
There is an abundance of good talent in the NBA, but when it comes to being the top dog, few players have a stronger case than Giannis Antetokounmpo. His numbers regualrly jump off the page, and he can do just about everything on both sides of the floor.
This season was Giannis' fourth-straight year of averaging at least 27.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks. Consistent dominance at this level is on par with the work of some of the game's greatest talents.
Giannis posted his 28th playoff game with 20 paint points, passing Tim Duncan for 3rd-most over the last 25 years.
33 PTS | 9 REB | 3 AST | 73% FG https://t.co/hiJE5PK7cs
One could build an argument for guys like Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic as the NBA's top player, but a slight edge belongs to Antetokounmpo. The primary reason for this is because he has secured almost every accolade a player can before his game had even reached its apex. Antetokounmpo is on pace to be among the top 10 to 15 best players of all time.
Competitive drive is another area to bring into consideration when discussing who is the league's best player. In a do-or-die situation, who is the player you want to lead your team? Given his track record, it's hard not to pick the Bucks superstar.
Antetokounmpo is one of those players where once he gets going, the only way to defend him is to hope he misses. Cowherd is not wrong at all to pick him as the NBA's current top player.