A few nights ago, my buddy Carter and I had an argument about Kevin Garnett. The All-Star starters had just been announced and once again, Garnett was named. Though both of us are die-hard Spurs fans, we were discussing how Tim Duncan probably should not have been named a starter, when Garnett's name came up.
Carter said that in his opinion Garnett was overrated. He thought that Garnett was only getting the stats that he was getting because he was the only good player on that team. I saw his point, but I disagreed.
I am a huge fan of Kevin Garnett for many of the same reasons I am a huge fan of Allen Iverson. Garnett has the same passion, competitiveness, and hunger that Iverson has on the court. I was very excited during the brief moment when it was fathomable that the two players could be playing together earlier this season, until Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said that the team couldn't afford to pursue Iverson.
Truth is, I don't believe Garnett is overrated at all. He's got career averages of 20.5 points per game, 11.3 rebounds per game, and 4.5 assists per game. Those are Hall of Fame numbers for a kid who was the first since Moses Malone to jump to the league straight out of high school. He has an MVP award, three first team All-NBA selections, and been first team All-Defensive seven times.
Beyond statistics and awards, Garnett has changed the power forward position and carried an entire franchise for almost a decade.
Before Garnett, the power forward position was played almost entirely around the league like a smaller, more athletic center which meant they were down-low, with their back to the basket. But Garnett revolutionized the position when he came into the league and inspired a generation of big men to play the game more like a guard.
Garnett has spent his entire twelve year NBA career with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the longest tenure in the league for a player with one team. He led them to the playoffs for eight straight seasons, peaking in 2004 when the Wolves made it to the Western Conference Finals, the only year Garnett has really had any help around him.
And that's part of the reason I don't think Garnett is overrated. Despite all the success he's had, he's never had much talent around him thanks to the questionable (at best) moves made by the front office in Minnesota. Even in a Western Conference that has been dominant since the Bulls' dynasty ended, Garnett has always had the T-Wolves in contention.
Even this year, when the Wolves fired their coach and his second best player has been a rookie, Garnett has the Wolves playing .500 and currently holding the eighth playoff position in the west. Tonight the Phoenix Suns' 17 game winning streak (fifth longest in league-history) was snapped almost single-handedly by Garnett when he put up 44 points and 11 rebounds.
But despite all the talent and physical gifts Garnett is often viewed as an underdog. That may be part of the appeal of Kevin Garnett. He's such a likable guy and the outlook of his team is so dismal that you can't help but pull for him.
Many think that the Timberwolves should trade Kevin Garnett to a contender so that he can have a better shot at a ring. They say the Wolves owe it to him. I'm not saying they're wrong, but I think most people would rather see Garnett on top of the world in a T-Wolves jersey than anything else.
