While players like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid regularly fight for the title of the most dominant and impactful center. The same can be said for Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic, who battle for the title of the best guard in the modern-day NBA.
In a recent episode of Gil's Arenas podcast, the cast discussed another crucial matchup - who is the best rebounder in the NBA between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis . While Gilbert Arenas acknowledged that the LA Lakers star is the more naturally talented of the two, he ultimately gave the nod to the Greek Freak for a compelling reason.
Why did Arenas pick Giannis over Davis?
AD played a huge role in helping the Lakers win their 17th championship in 2020. During that season, he earned All-NBA and All-Defensive First Team honors and was the runner-up for the DPOY award, but he has struggled with consistency ever since. Although the nine-time All-Star has shown flashes of thorough dominance whenever he has stepped on the hardwood, he was quite often criticized for his play and injury-prone.
In contrast, Giannis has emerged as the more reliable star. He has played in more than 60 games in the past six seasons and earned All-NBA First Team nods in each of them. Reflecting on their availability and consistency differences, Agent Zero pointed out that Davis' reduced playing time has made him hesitant to take over in clutch situations, particularly in the fourth quarter.
On the other hand, the two-time MVP, despite the obvious voids in his offensive game, has thrived in such moments. This confidence in his ability to step up as a leader and lead his team in crunch situations was enough for Arenas to crown "Greek Freak" as the best forward in the league over AD.
"You know I'm a Laker fan (but) I'm gonna go with Giannis. The reason I'm gonna go with Giannis is Imma know 1000 percent - Giannis is mentally, won't check out. He's gonna go hard, no matter what. He's not going to go ghost in the fourth quarter, not take no shots," Arenas said. "You don't have to worry about Giannis not being available in the fourth quarter."
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AD needs to lead the Lakers deep in the playoffs
Regarding raw talent, there's no debate that "The Brow" is one of the league's most skilled two-way big men. Additionally, he has a unique advantage that no other All-NBA talent possesses - an aging yet efficient LeBron James itching to hand over the reign as the team's best player.
Entering the 2024-25 season, the Lakers front office has focused on holding onto players that would boost the potential of the 6'10" forward as much as possible. Consequently, if Davis can lead the Purple and Gold deep into the playoffs after elevating them as a mere Play-In Tournament team in the Western Conference, there's no denying this effort would establish his claim of dominance over every other player.
Thus, the key for Davis to reassert his reign as the league's best forward hinges on his availability, consistency, and ability to step up as the team's undisputed leader.
Related: “Anthony Davis looked phenomenal” - Brian Windhorst thinks an MVP season is loading for AD
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