10 NBA Player Comparisons That Fell Flat with Time

NBA player comparisons are a great way to project how a promising prospect will impact the NBA. However, these comparisons aren’t always accurate. Here is a look at 10 NBA player comparisons that didn’t age well.

Lauri Markkanen and Dirk Nowitzki

When Lauri Markkanen was shining bright for the Utah Jazz, Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle compared the Jazz big man to a European he coached before, Dirk Nowitzki. Although they both come from Europe and can play the perimeter well for their size, the comparison was a bit of a stretch, especially in terms of impact and overall play.

Furthermore, while Markkanen is an All-Star and a Most Improved Player of the Year winner, Nowitzki is just simply on another level.

Sun Yue and Magic Johnson

Sun Yue was known as The Chinese Magic Johnson. In China, he was effective at 6’9 with guard skills. While the similarities were apparent in the CBA, it was a different case in the NBA. Sun only played garbage minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers. Furthermore, in little action, Sun never made his presence felt. However, both were NBA champions who won with the Lakers.

With Zion Williamson coming into the NBA as one of the hottest college basketball stars, he was an undersized center with the potential to take over the NBA. But while Williamson has been hyped as the next big thing, he also drew Charles Barkley comparisons.

Barkley dominated the NBA despite being undersized as a power forward with his rebounding prowess. Although Williamson has showed glimpses en route to a pair of All-Star appearances, the former top-overall pick isn’t having a Hall of Fame-worthy career like Barkley thus far due to a myriad of injuries.

At one point, Brandon Ingram’s build certainly drew comparisons to the Slim Reaper named Kevin Durant. With a lengthy wingspan for his height, Ingram did have a similar build to Kevin Durant.

However, in terms of their game, the difference has been obvious. Durant is more daring in terms of pull-up perimeter shots and could score at will. On the other hand, Ingram prefers to either drive to the basket or get his points from midrange.

Jayson Tatum and Danny Granger

Back in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics were able to snatch Jayson Tatum with the third-overall pick. Around that time, Tatum wasn’t exactly dubbed as the top-overall pick.

In fact, he even drew comparisons to a former reliable starter Danny Granger. Although Granger did make an impact in the NBA, he didn’t elevate the Celtics into a championship team the same way Tatum just did.

DeAndre Hunter and Kawhi Leonard

While DeAndre Hunter has emerged as one of the Hawks’ better two-way player, talks of him being the next Kawhi Leonard should be put to rest. Leonard’s physical gifts and talent were just phenomenal enough to elevate teams into championship contenders, especially come playoff time. At this point, it’s just hard to see Hunter replicate and manifest those comparisons.

RJ Barrett and Jimmy Butler

Although RJ Barrett and Jimmy Butler have strong similarities, there’s no question that the former is also unidentical to the latter. There were projections that Barrett would soon develop into the caliber that Butler became. However, to this day, Barrett has yet to even come close to what Butler’s becoming at his age. In fact, Barrett is still continuing to find his place in the NBA.

Lonzo Ball and Jason Kidd

Thanks to Lonzo Ball’s playmaking combined with the hype made by his father, Ball was dubbed as a top prospect for the Lakers’ lottery pick. Although Ball can be an effective playmaker, his ability as a guard was nowhere near as impactful compared to how Kidd played the game. In fact, even Kidd himself shut down those comparisons.

Scoot Henderson talked a big game prior to the 2023 NBA Draft. Thanks to his explosiveness in college, Henderson did convince a lot of basketball fans that he might have the same chops as the youngest NBA MVP in history, Derrick Rose.

Unfortunately, Henderson had a rough rookie season that saw him struggle to play efficiently. While Henderson still has time to prove his doubters wrong, the Portland Trail Blazers guard needs to have a bounce back sophomore year.

Victor Wembanyama was the most hyped prospect since LeBron James in 2003. Wemby’s size and skill has all the potential to take over the NBA.

However, while his skillset has been promising, Shaquille O’Neal brought up that the NBA has seen someone like him before in the form of the Phoenix Suns big man Bol Bol. With Wemby’s rookie season already up, there’s no question that Wemby’s milestones have already passed Bol Bol’s NBA career at this point.