"The gap between Giannis & AD, from what I saw last night, it is an ocean" - Kevin Wildes lays to rest comparisons between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis
Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated Anthony Davis in the battle of the superstar bigs as the Milwaukee Bucks comfortably beat the Los Angeles Lakers despite the scoreline looking marginal. Kevin Wildes stirred up comparisons between the two bigs post the Bucks victory, saying Giannis Antetokounmpo has widened the gap between him and AD after consistently performing at an elite level.
Giannis Antetokounmpo came in with an aggressive mindset from the jump and played bully ball with the Lakers, with most of them looking like they were boys playing a men's sport while guarding the Greek Freak. Anthony Davis looked like the only player capable enough to stop him but was outplayed, outhustled and thoroughly dominated.
Giannis drove into Davis despite his size, finished at the rim with contact, drew fouls regularly and hit his free throws and timely threes. Anthony Davis was unable to find an answer for Giannis Antetokounmpo despite many calling him the more complete forward among the two superstars.
Decorated television producer Kevin Wildes stirred comparisons between the two post Giannis' remarkable performance, saying the gap between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis was now as large as an ocean, with the tide in the Greek Freak's favor at the moment.
Here's what he said in an appearance on FS1's First Things First:
"We used to have debates — who is better: AD or Giannis? The gap between Giannis & AD, from what I saw last night, it is an ocean."
Lakers at Bucks Nov. 18 Player Comparison:
AD: 18 PTS, 9-15 FG, 0-1 3P, 0-0 FT
Giannis: 47 PTS, 18-23 FG, 3-4 3P, 8-11 FT
"We used to have debates — who is better: AD or Giannis? The gap between Giannis & AD, from what I saw last night, it is an ocean." — @kevinwildes https://t.co/qA49OQaaC9
Giannis Antetokounmpo ended the night scoring 47 points, grabbed nine boards and dished out three assists, while shooting an impressive 18-23 from the field and 3-4 from the perimeter. Giannis came to dominate and unfortunately Anthony Davis was nowhere near that level on the night. He ended the game with a miserable 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Anthony Davis has been pretty banged up and has carried the load with LeBron being unavailable and Russell Westbrook not living up to the hype at the moment. That may have had an effect on the forward but the Lakers will hope he gets back to the form he showed during their championship season two years ago if they are to have a chance of getting to the Finals, let alone win a title.
Can Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis guide their respective teams to the 2021-22 NBA Finals?
The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks came into the 2021-22 season as title favorites along with the Brooklyn Nets. However, only one of those teams has shown glimpses of being capable of winning an NBA championship and that is the Nets. Both the Bucks and Lakers have ideal rosters on the table, but were bit by the injury bug with key players missing time at different points early on in the season.
The Lakers look in far worse shape than the Bucks despite having a better ranking due to most Western Conference teams struggling this season. There has been a shift in the tide, with multiple Eastern Conference teams looking more capable of winning the title than the usual dominance of the West.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will have a huge task on his hand and will have to play at an elite level like he did against the Lakers if the Bucks are expected to beat the likes of the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Durant in MVP mode at the moment.
Giannis becomes the 5th player in the last 20 seasons to score 45+ points on 75% shooting from the field and 75% shooting from deep! #NBA75
@Giannis_An34: 47 PTS, 18-23 FGM, 3-4 3PM https://t.co/NOcMJVcGfn
Anthony Davis, on the other hand, will have a different set of issues as he tries to get a stagnant Lakers team to click prior to heading into a crucial post-season. A Bucks vs. Lakers NBA Finals looks a bit of a stretch at the moment despite the potential and talent both sides possess.