NBA and NFL Player Comparisons
Tonight, in honor of NBA All-Star weekend, we’re going to have a little fun. We’re going to be doing some cross-sport comparisons, comparing the current NBA All-Stars to current NFL players. This is all in fun, so we want to know what you think about the comparisons. Do you agree or disagree, and do you have any suggestions of your own? For the purposes of these comparisons, no quarterbacks were used, but if you have any comparisons to quarterbacks that you really like feel free to let us know.
With all that said, let’s get started with the East All-Stars:
Jimmy Butler is David Johnson: A do it all player on a has been team, doing everything he can to keep them afloat but doesn’t have nearly enough help
LeBron James is Rob Gronkowski: The most impressive physical specimen in the league. You can’t stop him, you can only hope to slow him down
DeMar DeRozan is T.Y Hilton: An impressive offensive player who puts up monster numbers, but is not considered “elite” or one of the top couple at his position
Giannis Antekokounmpo is Landon Collins: Literally does everything well, flying all over the field/court making plays, but plays on a unit that underwhelms to some degree
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Carmelo Anthony is Frank Gore: An aging one trick pony who just keeps producing. Don’t ask Melo to play defense, don’t ask Gore to catch the ball, but put the ball in their hands and they’ll still get you yards/buckets consistently
Paul George is Jordy Nelson: Always a little underestimated, and ruled out after a devastating injury, only to come back better than ever to prove everyone wrong once again
Kyrie Irving is Dez Bryant: One of the most talented players at his position, and produces at the level of one of the best at times, but is a bit of a diva and needs a strong supporting cast in order to get any kind of production
Kevin Love is Jimmy Graham: Supremely talented offensive player but don’t ask Love to play defense and don’t ask Graham to block. Love is there to produce on offense and Graham is there to catch passes, no more, no less
Kyle Lowry is Lorenzo Alexander: Did anyone even know Alexander was still in the league before his 12.5 sacks this season? He bounced around the league and only had 9 sacks in his career leading up to this year. Kyle Lowry played for the Grizzlies and Rockets, remember that? It took him 9 years to make an all-star game, but never count him out
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Paul Millsap is Derrick Johnson: Reliable and steady, yet you might forget he’s even in the league sometimes. Johnson made 4 pro bowl, this is Millsap’s 4th all-star appearance. Both are quiet guys in small markets, so they are easily overlooked
Isaiah Thomas is Darren Sproles: Miniature sized and too slippery to stop, and one of the most dangerous players with the ball in their hands
Kemba Walker is Mark Ingram: Huge college success, nobody was sure what to think when they were coming out of college, and neither got off to a blazing start in their career. Here we are a few years later for each, and they are one of the more solid guys at their positions, not elite but above average
John Wall is Antonio Brown: Great athlete, one of the top players at the position, and a social media darling. Has a knack for saying or doing some questionable things, but the production on the court/field is never in question
Now for the West All-Stars:
Steph Curry is Sean Lee: What he lacks in physical gifts he makes up for with incredible IQ and superior skill. Some injuries early on led to being a bit of a late bloomer
James Harden is Le’Veon Bell: A patient, crafty, stat sheet stuffer supreme! Is there any offensive weapon in the game anything like either of these guys?
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Durant is AJ Green: The size, the speed, the athleticism, the precision, the unbelievable production, yet never quite considered THE best for some reason, and knows all too well about making the playoffs but never winning a championship
Kawhi Leonard is Malcolm Butler: Brought in to the most successful organization in recent years and brought along slowly, alongside some of the biggest stars in the game, until shining in the biggest possible moment and becoming their own star
Anthony Davis is Jadeveon Clowney: The superstar can’t miss #1 overall pick, who can’t seem to stay healthy for an entire season, but when healthy is one of the most dominant forces in the game
Russell Westbrook is Adrian Peterson: Maybe not current Peterson, but 2016-2017 Russell Westbrook is 2012 Adrian Peterson: A physical specimen like no other, a one man total wrecking crew that will single handedly will his team to the playoffs, carrying his team through a historic season, only to see an early exit because of a lack of help
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Klay Thompson is Emmanuel Sanders: Never the top gun on his own team but could be on a number of other teams in the league, yet is content to put up big numbers as a secondary option in the interest of winning
Gordon Hayward is Larry Fitzgerald: Loyal to a fault, quiet, and does everything well. Larry’s loyalty could cost him an opportunity to ever win a Super Bowl, Gordon’s loyalty is starting to pay off through better production in Utah, but they are far from competing with Golden State
Boogie Cousins is Odell Beckham Jr: One of the best talents in the entire game but is he worth the headache? If you are willing to accept the drama with the production, you’ll get some of the best production in the sport
Draymond Green is Aaron Donald: Undersized, often underappreciated, has a big mouth, but a total game wrecker on defense
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
DeAndre Jordan is Jesse James: Okay this one seems a bit off because of the drastic difference in athleticism, but hear us out: both guys are there just to do the dirty work 90% of the time but is always there for the alley-oop
Marc Gasol is Greg Olsen: Like a fine wine just seems to get better with age, no major weakness in their games, and consistently one of the best at the position, yet spent most of their careers stuck on not quite good enough teams
Like we said, this is all in fun. I want to thank Christian Rinaldi for the idea and some of the comparisons. What do you think of the comparisons? Anything you think is completely wrong or completely right? What are some comparisons of your own? Comment and let us know! Stay tuned for more current sports stories. Don't forget to follow us on social media. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram @beyondthemetrics, and Twitter @byondthemetrics
