NBA legends Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce recently took to their podcast, “Ticket And Truth” to discuss who they believe are the top players in the Eastern conference.
When asked if he considers Giannis Antetokounmpo to be the best player in the conference, Garnett was blunt in his response.
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“You can’t say that with Embiid over there,” Garnett said. “… And with Jayson Tatum up there.”
When pressed again about the subject, Garnett doubled down on his take.
“He’s probably like the, what, fourth-best player over there? I mean, fourth-best player in the East?”
While Antetokounmpo has dealt with various injury troubles over the last few years, he won the 2021 NBA title and was named the 2021 NBA Finals MVP. As a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, he’s more than proven himself to be one of the best players in the Eastern conference.
All three players mentioned in the debate played outstanding last season. Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.
Joel Embiid averaged 34.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Jayson Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
While stats are only a portion of what makes a player great, there’s an argument to be made for each of the three superstars. The argument for a third Eastern conference player to be ranked above Antetokounmpo is going to be more difficult to make.
James Parker is an NBA writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
