Roy Williams Compares LeBron James and Blake Griffin...Huh?!

Blake Griffin's showing against the powerhouse North Carolina Tarheels in the Elite Eight March 29 was yet again a reinforcement of his athleticism and future top draft pick credentials, as he scored 23 points and grabbed 16 boards.

Griffin also made a dry towel out of Carolina All-American F Tyler Hansbrough, holding him to single-digit scoring while making him look scared as a scurrying squirrel in the path of an oncoming tractor trailer.

Hansbrough was obviously in over his head—and to answer scouts' questions of whether he will be a force in the league, imagine that effort against the likes of a Tim Duncan or Al Jefferson.

Not enough.

In the wake of Ty Lawson's Road Runner-esque footsteps, the Oklahoma Sooners were sent back to the saloon with a 72-60 beat-down that wasn't close as it ended.

Griffin posed many problems for that UNC frontline as expected, but he was neutralized by UNC's cast of Lawson, Danny Green, and Deon Thompson.

It didn't help that his running mates—his bro Taylor, Austin Johnson, and Sweet 16 hero Tony Crocker—were a combined five for 19 overall and 0 for eight from three, with just 10 points.

Everyone knew that Blake would need a 35 and 18 type of game with help from his supporting cast if they were to upset the Tarheels.

Griffin may have over and outperformed his All-American counterpart, but unfortunately for him, his rival had a speedy ACC Player of the Year for a point guard.

And a guy who loves to dance—and even has a dance named after him.

So now we wait for the inevitable decision of Blake Griffin to head to the money and NBA spotlight. Great, another guy who can't shoot a lick to be drafted first.

I wonder how that is going to work out.

We don't know, but what we do know is that legendary UNC coach Roy Williams was quite enamored with the play of Griffin against his Tarheels.

So enamored that he compared him to the likes of arguably the NBA's best player, LeBron James.

As girls used to say back in high school, "oh no he didn't."

Yeah, he did.

In a fit of borderline stupidity, Williams began his comment by saying, "this isn't a comparison, but..."

He went on to compare Griffin's dominance and freakish skill to that of LeBron James. That's like comparing Derrick Rose to Jason Kidd, or Ty Lawson to Chris Paul. It's simply to early for that.

Griffin is a junior in college who has some glaring differences with James. Other than the No. 23, there's nothing similar about Griffin and James.

They play different positions and bring different things to the table. Here are three similarities between Griffin and James:

Both are freakishly athletic

Both Griffin and James can do thunderous dunks that look like mid-air poetry. Griffin can find many ways to flip the ball into the basket, and his athleticism allows him to make great blocks and plays others can't make.

James can do all the above, a whole lot better.

They happen to wear the same number

I'm not sure if this is coincidental or if Griffin actually wears 23 because of admiration for Bron, but either way this similarity doesn't mean much other than they have the same taste in numbers, along with Jim Carrey.

Both overpower the opposition

Griffin simply overpowered Hansbrough, and Tyler isn't weak. His nearly seven-foot frame harnesses strength and quickness that not many other college players can match. That's the problem though—college players.

LeBron is 6'8" and listed at 250 pounds, in which he says he's a little more than that, and is as quick and strong as any player we've ever seen at any position in the pro ranks.

That's where the comparison hits a bad turn no matter what perspective or angle you come from.

James is dominant as they come on the pro level with no college experience. Griffin is a PF that has more skills than the college players around him.

Good as Griffin's been, and don't get me wrong he's been amazing, his numbers kind of pale in comparison to K-State's Michael Beasley or Texas' Kevin Durant. Other than having more double-doubles than them, here's the stat comparison:

Michael Beasley

26.2 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 53% FG, 38% 3PT.

Kevin Durant

25.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 47% FG, 40% 3PT.

Blake Griffin

22.7 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 57% FG, 38% 3PT (only eight attempts)

His numbers aren't very far off at first glance, but when you consider the fact that Griffin is predominantly a post player and Durant, Beasley, and James play from the perimeter a lot more, than you respect what they've done more.

Griffin is playing in a league where supremely talented big men are a harder find. Think about the best bigs in the NBA.

Guys like Dwight Howard and Kevin Garnett never went to college. Tim Duncan is a once-in-a-lifetime guy, and Pau Gasol and Yao Ming aren't even from here.

That leaves David West and Al Jefferson.

In other words, there aren't as many dominating big men as there are perimeter players, so Griffin will have a harder time in the pros.

LeBron James can play anywhere on the court, shoot anywhere on the court, compete with Chris Paul in a footrace and run Blake Griffin over.

In other words, Griffin has no business being mentioned in the same paragraph as the one we witness every night, LBJ.

Good try, Roy.