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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Entertainment
Madison Williams

Kendrick Perkins’s Player Comparisons Spark Major Reactions

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ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins surprised fans during the 2022 NBA draft when he gave outlandish comparisons for the newly drafted players.

Whenever a player was drafted on Thursday night, the former round one pick would compare the rookie to a current NBA star. Fans disagreed with virtually all of the comparisons, though.

First, Perkins compared No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero to Michael Beasley, who doesn’t even play in the NBA anymore, as well as Nets guard Ben Simmons.

Then, the analyst compared No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren to two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and Wizards’ Kristaps Porziņģis. 

He compared No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr. to Kevin Durant.

Here’s a couple other comparisons Perkins made during the ESPN broadcast.

Another example is when Perkins compared shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin, the Pacers No. 6 pick, to combo forward OG Anunoby.

It’s difficult to make comparisons for newly drafted players since they have yet to make their NBA debut, and most of the players Perkins compared the rookies to have won NBA titles and played many years in the league.

Here’s some of the Twitter reaction to Perkins’s crazy takes.

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