NBA legend Kevin Garnett thinks that Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is only the fourth-best player in the Eastern Conference. He cited players such as Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid to be better than him.
“You can’t say that with Embiid and Tatum over there… He’s probably like the, what, fourth-best player in the East?" said Garnett.
Giannis is coming off another monster season, averaging 30 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 6.5 assists a game. He was also an All-Star and first team All-NBA. In previous years, he has been a two-time MVP and DPOY, and the MIP. Giannis was also the leader of a championship team in 2021, and won the Finals MVP.
So does Garnett’s claim hold any weight? To put it shortly, no way. This may be recency bias, since Tatum and the Celtics won the Finals this past season, and Embiid won the MVP award two years ago, but Giannis is still the best player in the East.
If injuries are in the equation, then it is a toss-up. Both Embiid and Giannis are injury-prone, so Tatum has set a lot of records as a young player because he plays more. But in terms of talent and hard work put in, Giannis has both players beat.
Kevin Garnett when asked if Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the East:
— Sideline Sources (@sidelinesources) August 25, 2024
“You can’t say that with Embiid and Tatum over there… He’s probably like the, what, fourth-best player in the East?" pic.twitter.com/gIhMSt0R1p
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