"He turned into prime MJ for 7 games against us", "Kawhi scoring that much more efficiently is kind of insane” - Reddit reacts to Kawhi Leonard versus Giannis Antetokounmpo's playoff comparisons

Kawhi Leonard, left, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, right.

A r/NBAuser urged NBA fans to pick one of the following two spectacular playoff performers: Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard. Many Reddit users reacted to the comparison.

This comparison seems unlikely. Leonard stands at six-foot-seven and has exclusively played as a small forward throughout his career. Giannis, standing at six-foot-eleven, has primarily played power forward in his nine years.

Their style of play differs drastically. Leonard is considered an elite wing defender. Giannis is seen as more of a versatile shot-blocking big who can guard any position on the floor. Their shot profile also differs by a wide margin. Leonard works primarily in the mid-range, where Giannis Antetokounmpo plays in the paint.

Giannis' drives are amongst the least defensible in the entire league. For example, Giannis' field-goal percentage for dunks and lay-ups in 2020-21 was 75%.

Comparing both of their statistics from that season, we can see a significant difference in the frequency of certain shots.

Player	Highest Frequency Shot-type	Frequency (%)
Giannis Antetokounmpo	Less than 10 feet	62.4
Kawhi Leonard	Pull Ups	49.4%

Leonard and Giannis' shot charts from 2020-21 reflect this difference.

Leonard has struggled with injuries in the last few years, sitting out last season. A right-knee issue bugged him during the Western Conference semifinals in 2021. In the same span, Giannis accumulated plenty of hardware.

r/NBA reacted to the previous post with some engaging, albeit hilarious, takes:

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Giannis Antetokounmpo versus Kawhi Leonard

Giannis Antetokounmpo.

While we have detailed their shot-profile and defensive traits, an interesting exercise is to conduct a full-blown comparison between the two players.

However disparate, both Antetokounmpo and Leonard are top-tier scorers and lockdown defenders. They pride themselves on high-efficiency and high-volume shot-making. Leonard has a career FG% of 49.3%, whereas Giannis' career FG% is 53.5%.

Their efficiency disparity in the playoffs, however, is noteworthy. Leonard has shot at or over 60% from the field on three occasions in his career, whereas Giannis has yet to achieve this feat.

In terms of accolades, Leonard has more. Leonard boasts two NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, two Defensive Player of the Year awards and five All-Star selections. He also has five All-NBA selections and seven All-Defensive honors.

Antetokoumpo has the upper hand in the league MVP awards, with two.

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