Giannis vs. Carmelo

This post is inspired by a brief Twitter interaction I had in the comments of a post by theScore. They posted a round of 16 bracket of a one on one tournament that consisted of past and present NBA players (all players in their prime). Specifically there was a matchup between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Carmelo Anthony, to which our Twitter account commented, “Prime Melo would cook Giannis, change my mind”.

This short exchange made us think about and debate this matchup. Giannis is listed at 6’11 with a 7’3 wingspan, weighing 242 pounds, whereas Melo is 6’8 with a 7’0 wingspan, and weighed around 230 pounds in his prime. Offensively Giannis plays a bully ball style and is almost impossible to stop when he is going downhill, however his jump shot is still a work in progress. Melo on the other hand has a much deeper offensive arsenal. His jump shooting ability and post up game combined with his size and quick first step made him a nightmare to guard.

Would Giannis’s size and strength prove too much for Melo, or would Melo’s versatile scoring ability give him the edge? Let us know what you think in the comments!