In a recent tweet by NBA Central, it can be seen that Stan Van Gundy had some interesting views regarding the inclusion of Anthony Davies to the 75th Anniversary Team of the NBA. He blatantly admonished the inclusion of Davies by saying that there was no way Davies had a better career than Dwight Howard.
Gundy’s statement in the tweet is actually from an interview he did for the Knuckleheads Podcast. The claims Gundy is making are big, especially when he is talking about a high-profile player like Anthony Davies. Gundy has been missing from the NBA scene for almost 3 years and new fans of the franchise do not recognize him. This may lead to a lot of slander for Gundy because of his statements.
Who is Stan Van Gundy? Explained
Stan Van Gundy is a professional basketball coach who last coached New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA in 2020. He has been missing from the professional basketball coaching scene ever since that year, although he has not retired officially, he also did not take up a new job. He had coached Dwight Howard in his time as the head coach of Orlando Magic between 2007-12. This may explain to some fans why he made this comparison and prefers Howard over Davies. Here is the tweet by NBA Central:
“You cannot make a case that Anthony Davis had a better career than Dwight Howard, that’s absolutely ridiculous.”
– Stan Van Gundy on Anthony Davis making the NBA’s 75th anniversary team
(Via Sports Illustrated) pic.twitter.com/flzLomekx8
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 20, 2023
Gundy may not be coaching right now but he is well respected in the world of NBA and have won many accolades and awards justifying it. Stan Van Gundy won the award for the NBA Coach of the Year, Eastern Conference Coach of the Year, and the NBA Executive of the Year all in the year 2009. Along with these Gundy has won several other awards which adds value to his opinion when it comes to the world of professional basketball.
Stan Van Gundy’s bold claims on Lakers’ Anthony Davis compared to Dwight Howard
The reputation Gundy has is the main reason why his comments feel bizarre to many fans. Gundy boldly compares Anthony Davies and Dwight Howard both professional Basketball players in the NBA but from different generations. The basis of Gundy’s comparison can be understood as both Howard and Davies have similar physical properties.
Both Davies and Howard have accomplished big things in their careers and have made a name for themselves in the NBA. However, Davies is more like a Power Forward and Howard is more of a traditional Center player. Both may be big men defensive juggernauts on the court with similar physical builds but they differ in many key roles and abilities.
Howard is a traditional Center with an amazing ability to collect rebounds while Davies is also good at rebounds, Howard was better. On the other hand, Davies is a better shooter and had an impressive scoring ability for a defensive player like him. Talking about defenses both Davies and Howard are excellent defenders blocking shots wherever they can.
Stan Van Gundy’s comparison of Howard and Davies did not seem fair as both may have similar physical properties but both fulfilled different roles for their team.
Tell us what you think about Gundy’s take on the inclusion of Davies in the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and his bold comparison to Dwight Howard.
