Piece By: Riley Leonard
On May 16th, Germany’s Bundesliga became the first high-profile professional sports league to resume its regular season. For many, this marked the long-awaited return of one of the world’s preeminent domestic football competitions. For others, it was a cruel reminder of just how far behind leagues like the NBA and MLB are from re-initiating their own seasons. Regardless, fans of any sport can appreciate the wealth of exciting athletic talent the Bundesliga offers. In this article, I highlight eleven of the Bundesliga’s best outfield players (meaning goalkeepers like Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Yann Sommer and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer are excluded from discussion — but they do deserve a mention as the Bundesliga’s top shot-stoppers). To contextualize the players’ talents for a basketball audience, I’ve also included an NBA comparison for each of the eleven Bundesliga stars.
Philippe Coutinho - Bayern Munich
Age: 27
Country: Brazil
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Phillipe Coutinho made headlines for his exorbitant €160 million transfer to Barcelona in 2018, a fee that, at the time, made him the second most expensive player in the world. Unfortunately, Coutinho’s talents never materialized for the Spanish club, as injuries and inconsistency prevented him from returning Barcelona’s hefty investment. Loaned to Bayern Munich in August 2019, Coutinho has appeared far more comfortable in his new German home, scoring or assisting on 14 goals and recapturing the magic that made him such a sought-after commodity just one year prior.
NBA Comparison: Gordon Hayward (SF) - Boston Celtics
Like Coutinho, injuries have prevented Gordon Hayward from living up to the massive contract he signed with his new team. However, Hayward has slowly but surely regained some of his pre-injury form, and is now a key contributor for a competitive Celtics squad.
Alphonso Davies - Bayern Munich
Age: 19
Country: Canada
Position: Left Back
Dubbed the “FC Bayern Road Runner” by teammate Thomas Müller, left back Alphonso Davies boasts arguably the best pace in all of world football, terrorizing opponents with his lightning-fast speed. Born in Ghana to refugee parents fleeing the Second Liberian Civil War, Davies spent the majority of his early childhood running away from civil unrest. After finding a home in Canada, Davies spent the rest of his youth running circles around his competition. Following a strong two years for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the MLS, Davies secured the largest outgoing transfer fee in the history of the league. Now, at Bayern Munich, the once tantalizing prospect has blossomed into a full-blown superstar, with Davies asserting him as one of the Bundesliga’s defensive elite.
NBA Comparison: De’Aaron Fox (PG) - Sacramento Kings
A burgeoning star with equally invigorating speed and athleticism, De'Aaron Fox has also exhibited tremendous growth in a relatively short period of time. Now in his third season, Fox is amongst the NBA’s most exciting young players, and should be a joy to watch for years to come.
Erling Håland - Borussia Dortmund
Age: 19
Country: Norway
Position: Striker
While barely playing over ten games so far in Germany, Erling Håland has electrified the Bundesliga with his unprecedented ascension as one of the league’s top goalscorers. After becoming the first teenager in the sport’s history to score in his first four UEFA Champions League games while at Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund was quick to enlist Håland’s talents, completing his transfer in January and promptly signing him to a four-and-a-half year contract. The results have been anything but disappointing. Since coming to the Bundesliga, Håland has unleashed a goalscoring barrage, scoring a hat-trick in his German debut and finding the back of the net another 7 times over his last 10 matches.
NBA Comparison: Zion Williamson (PF) - New Orleans Pelicans
An equally compelling young star, Zion Williamson has exhilarated fans in his (so far) brief NBA career. An incredible athlete with an unlimited ceiling (much like Håland), Williamson has more than delivered on his lofty expectations as a first overall pick and generational prospect.
Mats Hummels - Borussia Dortmund
Age: 31
Country: Germany
Position: Center Back
A now 13-year veteran of the Bundesliga, Mats Hummels is the anchor of Borussia Dortmund’s back line. A tall and physical defender, the 6’4” Hummels is esteemed for his strength in the air and ability to dispossess opponents. However, Hummels’ abilities extended beyond his size and athleticism. In addition to his strengths as a pure defender, Hummels is a technically and tactically gifted player as well, demonstrating a surprising propensity for composed and creative playmaking.
NBA Comparison: Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF) - Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo derives this comparison from the simple fact that no player in the NBA has been as good defensively this season, with Giannis leading the league in almost all relevant advanced defensive metrics (including Defensive Rating, Defensive Win Shares, and Defensive Box Plus/Minus). Consequently, Giannis has established himself as the clear favorite for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, paralleling Hummels, who is widely considered the best defensive player in the Bundesliga.
Filip Kostić - Eintracht Frankfurt
Age: 27
Country: Serbia
Position: Left Wing
Few players in the Bundesliga possess the versatility of Filip Kostić. An offensive-oriented winger, Kostić excels as both a creator and scorer, and is currently sixth in the Bundesliga in assists and fourth in key passes. What makes Kostić even more adaptable is his ability to drop back and reinforce the defense, frequently combining both offensive and defensive duties. Regardless of what his team asks of him, Filip Kostić makes it look easy, an invaluable trait for a less-than-stellar Eintracht team whose success is largely indebted to Kostić’s performance this season.
NBA Comparison: Nikola Jokić (C) - Denver Nuggets
A superbly crafty playmaker who specializes in passing, Nikola Jokić is unrivaled in the NBA when it comes to finding creative ways to help teammates score. Like Kostić, Jokić is one of the most rounded and versatile players in the league, especially on the offensive end. But the most obvious comparison between the two players is their shared home country, with Jokić and Kostić both proudly representing Serbia in their respective sports.
Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich
Age: 31
Country: Poland
Position: Striker
Simply put, there has been no better player in the Bundesliga of late than scoring sensation Robert Lewandowski. Now in his sixth year with Bayern Munich, Lewandowski leads all European football leagues with 29 Bundesliga goals this season, and, after scoring against Fortuna Dusseldorf last Saturday, has now registered at least one goal against all 17 opposing Bundesliga clubs. Lewandowski is the perfect striker, with no other footballer in all of Germany (and perhaps the world) capable of matching his composure, positional sense, and finishing abilities
NBA Comparison: James Harden (SG) - Houston Rockets
While undoubtedly an offensive superstar amongst his contemporaries, James Harden, like Lewandowski, might already be one of the all time offensive greats, scoring at a historic rate over the past three seasons. In fact, Harden joins Adrian Dantley and Michael Jordan as the only three players in the 3-point era to average over 30 points per game in three consecutive seasons, with his 36.1 points per game in 2018-19 ranking second for the most in any single season in the same span. Similarly, Lewandowski’s 30 goals in 2015-16 and 29 goals in 2017-18 rank second and third respectively for the most goals in a single Bundesliga season since 1977, and Lewandowski appears on pace to eclipse those numbers this year.
Weston McKennie - Schalke 04
Age: 21
Country: United States
Position: Central Midfielder
The Bundesliga has long been the breeding grounds for the best American talent, and this year is no exception. While Dortmund’s Giovanni Reyna and RB Leipzig’s Tyler Adams represent two of the United States’ most promising young footballers, it’s Schalke’s Weston McKennie who has made the biggest impact this season. A defense-focused midfielder, McKennie specializes in breaking down attacks, winning aerial duels, and dispossessing opponents. That being said, the high-energy McKennie can be a key contributor on the offensive side as well, whose workhorse mentality often has him running up and down the pitch. Without question, the United States Men's National Team will look to McKennie to help usher in a new era of American football.
NBA Comparison: Ja Morant (PG) - Memphis Grizzlies
With McKennie acting as a beacon of hope for a traditionally ill-fated American national team, Ja Morant too carries the promise of an often despondent and historically unsuccessful franchise in the Memphis Grizzlies. The second overall pick in the 2019 draft, Morant has more than lived up to this promise so far, demonstrating a playmaking ability well beyond his years.
Thomas Müller - Bayern Munich
Age: 30
Country: Germany
Position: Attacking Midfielder
Having won both the UEFA Champions League in 2013 with Bayern Munich and in the World Cup in 2014 with Germany, Müller has firmly established himself as an icon for both club and country. A prolific goalscorer, Müller has long been one of the biggest offensive threats in the league, with the third most Bundesliga goals over the last decade. However, in the last few years, Müller has earned a reputation as a “Raumdeuter”, or interpreter of space. Renowned for his unparalleled vision, tactical intelligence, and ability to read the opposing defense, Müller leads all European leagues with a staggering 18 assists.
NBA Comparison: LeBron James (PG) - Los Angeles Lakers
Although it’s certainly a stretch to call LeBron James underrated, the 17-year veteran’s playmaking ability and basketball intelligence is often under-appreciated. Long acquiesced into the small forward position, LeBron has hit his stride this season as a de facto point guard, affirming himself as a truly elite floor general by leading the NBA in assists. Akin to Müller, LeBron has reinvented himself as a pass-first “Raumdeuter” of his own.
Robin Quaison - Mainz 05
Age: 26
Country: Sweden
Position: Striker
An adept dribbler and shooter who can seemingly score from anywhere on the pitch, Robin Quaison has quietly enjoyed a breakout season this year for Mainz 05. If truth be told, Quaison has been one of the only bright spots on a Mainz squad battling relegation, and his 12 goals this season account for almost a third of the entire team’s tally. Having initially stepped up to replace teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta (who missed the first 14 games of the season due to a knee injury), Quaison has evolved into Mainz’s unequivocal star.
NBA Comparison: Bradley Beal (SG) - Washington Wizards
An underrated scorer whose often heroic offensive efforts have been the only thing keeping his underperforming team afloat? Sounds a lot like Bradley Beal this year with the Washington Wizards, who, despite scoring the second most points per game in the entire NBA, has been unable to salvage a disastrous Wizards season.
Jadon Sancho - Borussia Dortmund
Age: 20
Country: England
Position: Right Wing
Jadon Sancho has taken the football world by storm over the past two years, with the English wunderkind becoming a household name in Europe for his stellar Bundesliga performance. With 17 goals and 16 assists to his name this season, Sancho is the only player in Europe’s top five leagues to record at least 15 of each, and is the first player in Germany’s top flight to do so in over 10 seasons. Capable of beating defenders with ease, Sancho uses his exceptional dribbling abilities and technical skill to set up teammates and score on his own. Despite having just turned twenty, Sancho is already challenging Robert Lewandowski for the title of Bundesliga’s finest footballer, and it should only be a matter of time for Sancho to enter the discussion as one of the world’s best as well.
NBA Comparison: Trae Young (PG) - Atlanta Hawks
Drafted fifth overall in 2018, Trae Young has enjoyed a transcendent start to his professional basketball career with the Atlanta Hawks. In his first two seasons, Young has proven to be both a phenomenal scorer and phenomenal playmaker, and is currently top five in the NBA in both Assists Per Game and Points Per Game. What makes both Young and Sancho even more compelling is that the two youngsters still gave plenty of room to grow, an endlessly exciting outlook for two already incredible talents.
Timo Werner - RB Leipzig
Age: 24
Country: Germany
Position: Striker
Although transfer rumors have dominated the narrative surrounding Timo Werner this season (particularly connections to Liverpool and Chelsea in the English Premier League), they shouldn’t detract from what has been an incredible year for the German striker. And while RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann has conceded that Werner is as good as gone, Bundesliga fans still have plenty of time left to watch one of the league’s most enthralling goalscorers. A clinical finisher with fantastic instinct in the final third, Werner has used his remarkable pace and accuracy to score 25 goals this season, the second-highest total in the entire Bundesliga.
NBA Comparison: Donovan Mitchell (SG) - Utah Jazz
With speed and scoring ability commensurate to that of Werner’s, Donovan Mitchell has torched NBA defenses in his first three years in the league. Lovingly referred to by fans as “Spida”, Mitchell has excelled as both an inside and outside scorer, using his athleticism and acceleration to score in the paint while also improving every season as a three-point shooter.