Channing Frye has sparked a major NBA debate after offering a blunt assessment of Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Speaking on Road Trippin’, Frye described Giannis as a “7-foot running back” and argued that his offensive game is heavily dependent on his physical gifts.
“Giannis is a 7’0 running back. He’s just coming at you.”
Frye went on to argue that Giannis lacks the perimeter and post skill set that allows other elite big men to remain effective when injuries limit their athleticism.
“If his ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, are injured, he can’t play his style,” Frye said. “He does not have the skillset. Meaning shooting, middys, post ups, 3s, to balance that out like Joel Embiid does.”
Frye used Embiid as the comparison, arguing that the Philadelphia 76ers center can rely on his shooting and scoring versatility even when he isn’t operating at full athletic capacity.
“Joel when he’s injured, he can just shoot fadeaway and still get 30 PPG,” Frye said.
The comments are likely to generate plenty of pushback, particularly because Giannis has built a Hall of Fame résumé largely through his combination of size, ball-handling, finishing, defense and relentless downhill pressure.
The bigger question is whether Frye is criticizing Giannis’ skill level or simply pointing out that Giannis’ offensive effectiveness is more dependent on his physical dominance than players such as Embiid.
Either way, calling a two-time MVP and NBA champion a “7-foot running back” is guaranteed to get NBA Twitter/X talking.
Who’s right?
Is Channing Frye making a legitimate point about Giannis’ offensive skill set—or is he seriously underrating one of the most dominant players of his generation?
