Peak Kevin Garnett vs. Peak Tim Duncan

[ViNsAnItY1990]

Duncan) Garnett

[Freshprince619]

Give me prime Kg ANYDAY! Better rebounder, defender, scorer, intimidates players, can play on ball defense on guards, he can hit 20 footers. I cant see one think Timmy does better then him. The dude won MVP and Defensive player of the year all in the same year. Whens the last time thats been done? Rings and all that dont mean nothing when Duncan had the most stacked team for a good 4 5 years

[Samurai Swoosh]

Honestly, they're interchangable for me ...

[TimeConfidence]

Duncan. No offense to Garnett or any power forward out there, but Duncan is the greatest and best power forward of all-time and it's not close at alll.

[Wonder Bread Kid]

KG put up 23/13.4/6!!/1.4/1.6 on 50% shooting, carrying a pretty mediocre team to a then-franchise record 51 wins.

And Duncan takes that team to the WCF or finals. There's the difference.

For Christ sakes, Garnett couldn't get out of the first round until his team added Cassell and Spree.

For Christ sakes part II, Garnett couldn't win a title until he was traded to a team with Pierce and Allen.

Notice a pattern here?

[Wonder Bread Kid]

Give me prime Kg ANYDAY! Better rebounder, defender, scorer, intimidates players, can play on ball defense on guards, he can hit 20 footers. I cant see one think Timmy does better then him. The dude won MVP and Defensive player of the year all in the same year. Whens the last time thats been done? Rings and all that dont mean nothing when Duncan had the most stacked team for a good 4 5 years

Most staked team? lol

The '99 team started 8-8.

The 2003 team saw a Mcdyce like Robinson and three newish players who didn't get very good minutes win the title.

Neither of those teams were "stacked."

P.S.

Better defender? lol

Better rebounder? In the 14 years Garnett has been in the NBA he's racked up 12,037 rebounds. In the 12 years Tim Duncan has been in the NBA, he's racked up 11,148 rebounds. So basically he has 889 more rebounds in 2 more years of NBA playing time. Duncan averaged in the mid 900's hie first three seasons. So basically, if Duncan came into the league the same time as Garnett, he'd have more career rebounds.

Duncan also has more career blocked shots.

[Bernie Nips]

And Duncan takes that team to the WCF or finals. There's the difference.

For Christ sakes, Garnett couldn't get out of the first round until his team added Cassell and Spree.

For Christ sakes part II, Garnett couldn't win a title until he was traded to a team with Pierce and Allen.

Notice a pattern here?

yeah, Duncan's always had a better team.

[TimeConfidence]

yeah, Duncan's always had a better team.

Sorry bud, Duncan in 2003 was one of the few players ever in NBA History to win the NBA Finals and have no all-stars on the team. (Other than himself of course). The other one is Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994.

[rmt]

Duncan - does whatever is needed to win - from clutch 3s to going up against the Wallaces in 05. Carried one of the worst teams to win a championship in 2003.

[Wonder Bread Kid]

yeah, Duncan's always had a better team.

Maybe better than the Wolves but that also speaks to Garnett's inability to make the players around him better. You know, what Tim and Nash do.

[thejumpa]

Interchangeable players. KG would have won 4+ titles on those Spurs teams. He does everything Duncan does but the rings and Spurs dynasty puts him into an elite class(as it should). If not for that BS injury, I think KG would have had 2 titles and been fighting for his 3rd. It sucks to see the player you grew up on struggling so much, but it is what it is. Injuries are a part of the game.

Duncan is a beast, though. Even though the Spurs suck right now, he is 33 player better than most PF's/C's out there. I can't remember another player that, at age 33, could be built around to win a championship. Not Shaq, not Kobe....

[Wonder Bread Kid]

Interchangeable players. KG would have won 4+ titles on those Spurs teams.

Nope. Nope. Nope.

He does everything Duncan does but the rings and Spurs dynasty puts him into an elite class(as it should).

Holy crap, did you watch the NBA before 2 weeks ago? Duncan and Garnett are not similar players, esp. in their peaks.

If not for that BS injury, I think KG would have had 2 titles and been fighting for his 3rd.

They weren't beating the Lakers and it wouldn't have been KG, it'd have been KG, Allen and Pierce.

It sucks to see the player you grew up on struggling so much, but it is what it is. Injuries are a part of the game.

Same way an injury to Duncan kept the Spurs from repeating in 2000.

Duncan is a beast, though. Even though the Spurs suck right now, he is 33 player better than most PF's/C's out there. I can't remember another player that, at age 33, could be built around to win a championship. Not Shaq, not Kobe....

Which speaks to why Duncan has and still is better than Garnett.

[G.O.A.T]

Interchangeable players. KG would have won 4+ titles on those Spurs teams.

I see no basis for saying this. Could it happen sure, but it's far from likely.

He does everything Duncan does

He is not the same quality defensive anchor or post threat. Two staples of nearly 80% of the NBA's champions.

Spurs dynasty puts him into an elite class(as it should). If not for that BS injury, I think KG would have had 2 titles and been fighting for his 3rd. It sucks to see the player you grew up on struggling so much, but it is what it is. Injuries are a part of the game.

Duncan is a beast, though. Even though the Spurs suck right now, he is 33 player better than most PF's/C's out there. I can't remember another player that, at age 33, could be built around to win a championship. Not Shaq, not Kobe....

Duncan and Garnett are all-time great players, but it is the winning that separates them. It's not as if were comparing 3rd options; if you are the teams superstar, your team is a contender and their success depends more on you than anyone else. Everyone's goal is to win, the most talented player or team does not always win, but it takes great talent to win. Therefore Duncan's ability to win more consistently than Garnett and really anyone else (with only Shaq and Kobe close) in his era. Garnett is the fourth star of this era. The Isiah Thomas or Charles Barkley or Karl Malone of the 1980's and 1990's. The Bob Pettit or Elgin Baylor of the 1950's and 1960's. The guy right after the guys who defined the era.

[thejumpa]

Well, tough to argue against claims like that. True, KG isn't a mirror image of Tim Duncan, and doesn't have the same low post game, but I see no reason as to why San Antonio could have not have built around him. Minnesota was just a horrible team...for years and years. Someone said that the Spurs would have been a jumpshooting team. Anyone care to elaborate more on this?

[theguru]

Frankly Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Charles Barkley are all interchangeable for me. If I had to rank the 4:
1.) Karl Malone
2.) Tim Duncan
3.) Kevin Garnett
4.) Charles Barkley

Frankly though, all 4 players were unbelievable in their primes.