Kevin Garnett in todays game

[TheImmortal]

http://i63.tinypic.com/kal53p.jpg
6ft 11 Kevin Garnett alongside 7ft Karl Anthony Towns


How would a prime KG fare against todays big men?

[imdaman99]

Can switch onto anyone, he would be elite. Top 5 player.

[100grandman]

I was watching a clip of Area 21 on youtube. KG made Ben Wallace look small. It surprised me, I was confused. I mean not just in height, but also in body mass. And KG is still in good shape it seems.

[eliteballer]

I was watching a clip of Area 21 on youtube. KG made Ben Wallace look small. It surprised me, I was confused. I mean not just in height, but also in body mass. And KG is still in good shape it seems.

Bens off his Roid cycles.

[bizil]

Tailor made for today's game! He was really the first "positionless" 7 ft. player on the both sides of the court. Came into the league as a SF with Minny. And could defend big swingmen all the way to centers. From there, settled more into a PF role. And when u combined positional versatility on both sides of the court AND numbers, the best all around PF ever. BUT if Giannis stays at the PF, he will take that mantle from KG. But nonetheless, KG was WAY AHEAD of his time! Would be a seamless transition in today's game. Where would he rank in today's game. I think top 5 along with Bron, KD, AD, and Giannis. Those five are the definition of positionless basketball. Those five LEGIT could be a starting five:

PG- Bron
SG- KD
SF- Giannis
PF- KG
C- AD

The evolution of AD's and Giannis's game make it interesting in comparison to a peak KG. Two years ago, I would have take peak KG HANDS DOWN over both of them. Now I can't say that for sure. Giannis is damn near like a 7 foot version of guys like a Bron or G Hill. Even though he plays PF more exclusively, I like him better as a wing. And AD is like a combo of KG and Duncan in a sense. So AT WORST I have KG #5 in the world in today' era. At best #3 only behind Bron and KD.

[Marchesk]

Imagine prime KG defending KD in the finals. Would be epic.

[TheImmortal]

I like AD and Giannis as much as the next guy but... come on dawg, that's Kevin Garnett.

At worst I have KG top 3.. maybe #1 when you factor in intagibles.. best defender in the league imo.

[bizil]

Imagine prime KG defending KD in the finals. Would be epic.

OMG!!! Prime KG is an epic matchup for KD! Just as tall or a bit taller. In general, more athletic, And certainly more stronger. And KG could legit check swingmen to centers at an elite level. Prime KG was so versatile u could LEGIT play him as a big SF the entire game if needed. And if GSW goes small, KG could defend KD when he moved to the PF position. I think KG and Giannis are the ideal guys to defend KD. Problem is those kinds of positionless 7 ft superstars are so rare.

The scary part is KG could defend KD BETTER than KD could defend him! KD is a 7 foot perimeter player who has the versatility to be a positionless type player. KG is a 7 foot PF who has the versatility to be a positionless type player. KG played more like a true big man BUT had the freak athletic ability and skillset of the elite wing players.

[bizil]

I like AD and Giannis as much as the next guy but... come on dawg, that's Kevin Garnett.

At worst I have KG top 3.. maybe #1 when you factor in intagibles.. best defender in the league imo.

The difference between KG and guys like Bron, AD, KD, and Greek Freak is THE FACT they are more dominant offensive players than KG. And ALL OF THEM are also great all around players in their own right. KG is the best all around PF of all time in my opinion. And he was in the very good-great scoring area. Enough cred to be an alpha dog scorer. BUT would be #2 when paired with another alpha dog scorer most likely. Which is what we saw with Pierce in Boston.

The other four guys are guys scoring close to 30PPG. WHILE still being great all around players. So like I said earlier, I could see KG as high as #3. But if KG DIDN'T up the ante scoring in this era, that puts Giannis and AD a hair over KG in my opinion in this era. But I won't argue KG being #3 today. BUT u can't ignore how AD and Giannis have evolved either.

[MoBe1Kanobi]

The difference between KG and guys like Bron, AD, KD, and Greek Freak is THE FACT they are more dominant offensive players than KG. And ALL OF THEM are also great all around players in their own right. KG is the best all around PF of all time in my opinion. And he was in the very good-great scoring area. Enough cred to be an alpha dog scorer. BUT would be #2 when paired with another alpha dog scorer most likely. Which is what we saw with Pierce in Boston.

The other four guys are guys scoring close to 30PPG. WHILE still being great all around players. So like I said earlier, I could see KG as high as #3. But if KG DIDN'T up the ante scoring in this era, that puts Giannis and AD a hair over KG in my opinion in this era. But I won't argue KG being #3 today. BUT u can't ignore how AD and Giannis have evolved either.

:biggums:
Prime KG would average 26, 16, 7.5 on 55/36/80 shooting in todays game

[Milbuck]

MVP KG would be the best player in the league. I'd take that version of KG over anyone over the past decade outside of LeBron.

[CelticBaller]

A player that can

-Shoot
-has top 5 athleticism
-can defend every position
-can bring the ball down the court
-can post up


In this shooting league where he would be encouraged to shoot 3s? Best player

[FireDavidKahn]

Garnett being listed as 6'11" was because he hated the thought of being over 7'.

But in today's league? No doubt in my mind he could have developed a 3 point shot as his bread and butter was the long 2.

You'd basically have someone like AD but on steroids.

[FireDavidKahn]

A player that can

-Shoot
-has too 5 athleticism
-can defend every position
-can bring the ball down the court
-can post up


In this shooting league where he would be encouraged to shoot 3s? Best player
It isn't just that he can defend pretty much every position...it's the fact that he is arguably the best team defender ever. He can captain the D, tell people where to go, etc which in turn makes everyone else more effective on D.

He was just unreal in his prime.

Garnett was like twice the player in his prime vs. what he was in Boston (and everyone knows how great he was there)

[IGOTGAME]

Imagine prime KG defending KD in the finals. Would be epic.

Kgs one on one defense is very overrated. He couldnt keep up with KD off screens

[Loco 50]

In a league devoid of hard nosed post play with 7 fter's chucking jumpshots because they are soft he'd fit in perfectly.

[bigkingsfan]

In a league devoid of hard nosed post play with 7 fter's chucking jumpshots because they are soft he'd fit in perfectly.
Funny cause KG got a lot of shit for shooting J's.

[Loco 50]

Funny cause KG got a lot of shit for shooting J's.
That was my point. He'd fit in perfectly.

[FireDavidKahn]

That was my point. He'd fit in perfectly.
You also called him soft:oldlol: :oldlol:

[Loco 50]

You also called him soft:oldlol: :oldlol:
Soft as baby shit. All bark, no bite.

[Dray n Klay]

I have KG ahead of Kobe all time

[FireDavidKahn]

Soft as baby shit. All bark, no bite.
Yoou can't be one of the GOAT defenders and be soft:roll: :roll: :roll:

[Loco 50]

When you're 7ft tall you sure as **** can. Not too sure about that "one of the goat defenders" claim either.

Maybe in your viewing experience, but all time? Gonna have to think about that one.

[FireDavidKahn]

When you're 7ft tall you sure as **** can. Not too sure about that "one of the goat defenders" claim either.

Maybe in your viewing experience, but all time? Gonna have to think about that one.
He is arguably the GOAT team defender. His isolation wasn't on that level.

[Phoenix]

The other four guys are guys scoring close to 30PPG. WHILE still being great all around players. So like I said earlier, I could see KG as high as #3. But if KG DIDN'T up the ante scoring in this era, that puts Giannis and AD a hair over KG in my opinion in this era. But I won't argue KG being #3 today. BUT u can't ignore how AD and Giannis have evolved either.

I think he'd be a better scorer in today's game if called upon to do so. Just the way the defense is called and because he had an atypical offensive game( for a PF) 15 years ago that fits right into today's league. Let's put it this way, his MVP year he put up 24ppg, which was a career high. I think that would be the baseline for what he'd do today. I can easily see Giannis-like numbers, but with better defensive versatility.

[And1AllDay]

KG was great but...

He never scored 25 ppg or higher for a single season
He was a career 27% 3P shooter

He peaked at 24.2 ppg

[superduper]

KG was great but...

He never scored 25 ppg or higher for a single season
He was a career 27% 3P shooter

He peaked at 24.2 ppg

It's almost like morons don't realize they didn't practice 3s back then because it was considered the most inefficient last resort type of shot :facepalm

especially big men were frowned upon shooting 3s. no shit if you don't practice something because you aren't allowed to jack up 10 3s a game and it isn't meta in the era you won't be as good as an era where 65% of all shots are 3s.

Why do you think the first 8 years of Lopez's career he took 0.2 3s a game on 0% clip and now last 3 years he's jacking 6 a game at 40%?

Are you a moron? Please just say yes and give me the satisfaction.

[And1AllDay]

It's almost like morons don't realize they didn't practice 3s back then because it was considered the most inefficient last resort type of shot :facepalm

especially big men were frowned upon shooting 3s. no shit if you don't practice something because you aren't allowed to jack up 10 3s a game and it isn't meta in the era you won't be as good as an era where 65% of all shots are 3s.

Why do you think the first 8 years of Lopez's career he took 0.2 3s a game on 0% clip and now last 3 years he's jacking 6 a game at 40%?

Are you a moron? Please just say yes and give me the satisfaction.

Yeah I get that...

He PEAKED at 24.2

Never scored 25 or higher in his entire lifetime

Next

[raprap]

Prime KG was a beast.

He

[Pointguard]

[QUOTE=raprap]Prime KG was a beast.

He

[Rudeboy3]

giannis would be better than this bum, don't fool yourself

[Rudeboy3]

I think he'd be a better scorer in today's game if called upon to do so. Just the way the defense is called and because he had an atypical offensive game( for a PF) 15 years ago that fits right into today's league. Let's put it this way, his MVP year he put up 24ppg, which was a career high. I think that would be the baseline for what he'd do today. I can easily see Giannis-like numbers, but with better defensive versatility.
Better defensive versatility than Giannis? :biggums:

Nikks really disrespect Giannis defence, he's a top 3 defender in the league arguably the best when fully focused in on D

[bizil]

When u are talking Giannis and AD, u are talking the bigs who are from the KG type blueprint in a sense. In KG's era, there WERE NO GUYS like AD and Giannis around. KG's PF peers were guys like Timmy, Dirk, Sheed, C Webb, Amare, J ONeal, etc. When u look at those names, KG's style of play was WAY AHEAD of the curve.

So now with the evolution of the game, guys more similar to a KG were gonna pop up. It's STILL a very rare type of positionless player, but AD and Giannis are the next guys to fit that mold at 7'0. KD does in a different way for a perimeter player.

But KG, AD, and Giannis rebound like the dominant bigs, can be rugged like the dominant bigs, are tremendous two way players, and have the freak athletic ability and skillsets of the top wing players. Which means they could play and defend damn near any positions if needed. Giannis for me is more a supersized wing player. While KG and AD are closer to true PF's or PF-C guys who have the tools and athletic ability of the great wing players.

I'm a huge KG fan, but I admit Giannis and AD look to force the issue scoring the rock more than prime KG. That's a FACT!!! That doesn't mean they are better. BUT to assume KG just WALKS OVER THEM as a top 3 player in the world would be a mistake. That's where Giannis and AD have taken their games. U could make a case for ANY OF THEM to be in the top 3 players in this era. Giannis in particular has actually UPPED THE ANTE in terms positional versatility for a 7 foot player. He's a bit more agile than prime KG. And his brand of athletic ability, handles, and skillset IS MORE SIMILAR to guys like a Bron, MJ, Kobe, G Hill, etc. If I had to choose ANY 7 FOOTER in NBA history to be a PG FLAT OUT on both sides of the court, Giannis would be the obvious pick. That's how unique his game is. He has evolved what KG did in terms positional versatility.

[Phoenix]

Better defensive versatility than Giannis? :biggums:

Nikks really disrespect Giannis defence, he's a top 3 defender in the league arguably the best when fully focused in on D

He's one of the all-time great defenders, especially in a team context. Saying what I said isn't 'disrespect' to Giannis, it's merely a statement of what KG was defensively at his peak.

[FireDavidKahn]

Yeah I get that...

He PEAKED at 24.2

Never scored 25 or higher in his entire lifetime

Next
:facepalm

The year he peaked at 24.2 was when he played on a team with a pace of 89 while the slowest today is at 95. :confusedshrug:

That'd obviously go up as KG would develop a 3 point shot pretty easily seeing as he was the master of long twos.

[Lebron23]

He would average the same stats as Giannis with better passing. KG is a do it all forward like Pippen,LeBron at 7'1".

[bizil]

The Ticket would be in that mix for the best player in the world crown with Bron and Giannis. Bron isn't NEARLY the defender consistently he once was. That brought Bron back to the pack some. EVEN THOUGH he's still arguably the best player in the world. And in many ways, Giannis is like an evolution to what KG brought to the table. A freak athletic 7 footer who can play AND defend damn near all the positions at a high level. And from there can average 26+ PPG-13RPG-6 dimes, and provide DPOY caliber defense. KG was the BLUEPRINT for that type of player!

So KG and Dirk (for a 7 foot stretch PF) are HUGE REASONS why the center position took a hit. Guys younger than them wanted to play like them. INSTEAD of the guys like Shaq and Duncan. But those young guys COULDN'T play the way KG or Dirk did at a dominant level. So what happened was they DIDN'T work on the interior big man elements enough. So a lot of those guys weren't as good as they could have been. They put on a cap on their potential.

Point is the shit KG could do at his size is VERY RARE!! One of the rare players who LEGIT revolutionized a position. So in today's game, KG would be arguably the best player in the world. Giannis is a bit more athletic. And a bit more dominant scorer. BUT KG's scoring skilllset is more complete, he's just as good of passer, just as good of a rebounder, and is a bit better defender. And in today's game, KG would be LITERALLY the perfect 7 footer from the past to fit in seamlessly. He's one of the guys most responsible for what we see today!

[Nowitness]

He’d be a solid backup on a fringe playoff team. Can give you a solid 25 minutes a night but he was blessed to be playing for a franchise that had no aspirations which meant he could get every stat available. With the way the game is played today he’d be like a slightly better Clint Capella