Three-Man Weave: Giannis, Anthony Davis Stuff Their Stat Sheets

Remember the kid from Kentucky with the rail-thin frame who had no offense to speak of and was the first overall pick because of his cartoonish proportions and incredible potential? He’s starting to put it all together — like, really put it all together. 

Davis, a five-year veteran who’s not even 24, is leading the NBA in scoring (30.7) and blocked shots (2.9). This is nothing new. When healthy, AD has been in the MVP conversation for the last couple of seasons. The only thing is, he hasn’t been healthy; he’s never played more than 68 games in a season. Davis looks phenomenal this year, and it’s because he hasn’t dealt with any nagging injuries.

He’s suited for all but two games so far, and his contemporaries are having severe issues stopping him. After his brilliant performance against Indiana on Thursday, Davis became the sixth player younger than 24 to record a 35-15-5 line, joining the likes of David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Unfortunately, New Orleans is just 9-18 on the year, which really dampens Davis’ case for MVP. Regardless, he’s a league-pass must-see if they ever get themselves together.

Here we have another player with a narrative similar to Davis. When the Greek Freak burst onto the NBA scene, he had potential as great as anyone, and he’s rapidly becoming one of the most versatile and exciting players in the league.

There are two things Giannis can’t do: shoot from three and play defense without fouling. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not much to fix. He’s already boasted numerous head-scratching performances, and his go-go gadget arms and Frisbee-sized hands allow him to make passes that no one at his size can make. It wasn’t on display much against the Chicago Bulls as he tallied three assists, but he’s Milwaukee’s leader in that stat.

As Antetoukounmpo’s become accustomed to doing, he’s able to haul in rebounds and lead the fast break, and his court vision and ability to penetrate are why he plays point guard for Jason Kidd.

Also, who wouldn’t want a guy who can pick up his dribble at the three-point line and finish with a finger roll right in front of the rim?

We’re spoiled with all the point guards we have. On any given night, you have Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, John Wall and a myriad of other incredible floor generals taking the court. One of them is Damian Lillard, and the iTunes rapper is the driving force behind the Portland Trail Blazers attempt at relevancy.

Thursday was his second game with 40 and ten, and he and Westbrook are the only two players with multiple instances. Unfortunately, Portland’s JV-level defense allowed 132 points to the Denver Nuggets — and they lost by 12. Some of the blame goes Lillard’s way, but it’s incredibly hard to carry the team on defense and offense. Especially when you drop 40, and your help off the bench is almost transparent.

Lillard has the rare ability to stretch the defense out to nearly 30 feet, and he’s as quick as he is strong, and I’m willing to put money down that he didn’t forget about getting snubbed as an All-Star last season.