Yes or No? McHale better than Garnett?

[Donoghus]

No.

[fairweatherfan]

For a single game I take McHale.  If I'm building a team I take Garnett. 

McHale is probably better at his top skills than KG is at his (with the possible exception of help D).  And McHale could get hot and dismantle a team more than KG, but KG contributes more consistently, has the superior all-around game, better 3+ season peak, and arguably a better single season than McHale.  Both great, great players though. 

[Birdman]

Great question!!! Its very tough to answer that.

[LooseCannon]

At his peak, McHale had the "misfortune" of playing next to a top-5 player all-time.  If KG played next to Bird, he never would have won an MVP, either.

If KG played next to Bird with both at their peaks, I could see Bird being seen as better because of the Yay Points! theory, but KG actually having the better season.

By some measures, KG at his peak was at least as good as Bird at his peak.  If you like Win Shares as one of the better single-number stats, KG has two seasons with more win shares than Bird's best and three seasons with a higher WS48 than Bird's best.  I think PER is inferior to win shares, but Garnett has two seasons with a PER higher than Bird's best.

I think Garnett at his peak is a heck of a lot closer to peak Bird than peak McHale in terms of value.

[Fafnir]

No.

[lightspeed5]

At his peak, McHale had the "misfortune" of playing next to a top-5 player all-time.  If KG played next to Bird, he never would have won an MVP, either.

If KG played next to Bird with both at their peaks, I could see Bird being seen as better because of the Yay Points! theory, but KG actually having the better season.

By some measures, KG at his peak was at least as good as Bird at his peak.  If you like Win Shares as one of the better single-number stats, KG has two seasons with more win shares than Bird's best and three seasons with a higher WS48 than Bird's best.  I think PER is inferior to win shares, but Garnett has two seasons with a PER higher than Bird's best.

I think Garnett at his peak is a heck of a lot closer to peak Bird than peak McHale in terms of value.

forget the stats, bird peak is a top 5 all-time player.

[Prof. Clutch]

It's a really tough call.  On one side you have probably the best post scorer in the history of the game and on the other you have one of the best defenders and all-around players in the history league.  It's honestly a toss up.  I would love to have seen them face each other in their primes.

[GreenFaith1819]

Just checked out KG's best (IMO) season, which was 2003-04:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/garneke01.html

Not sure if any other player in recent memory (including LeBron) has put up these kinds of numbers across the board:

24.2 pts, 13.9 rebs, 5.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, 1.5 stls and only 2.6 turnovers in 39 min.

[kg is king]

Scoring: Mchale, but KG was pretty darn good at that too
Defense: KG no doubt
Rebounding: KG by a hair
Passing: KG (one of the best all time for a PF)
Athleticism: KG
Bball IQ: About the same, hard to judge on this one
Intangibles: KG

So KG wins pretty handedly based on this style of assessment.

[Celtics17]

Anytime I think about how good McHale was I remember some reporters quote that said something along the lines of this.. "McHale is the best player in the league and the second best on the Celtics".

My point is simply that you always have to factor in how dominant Larry Bird was and how it affected McHales game. That being said, I still think I would take an in his prime KG over McHale in his prime. It's very close but Kevin's game was really more similar in style to that of a center. KG gets the edge for his ability to shut opposing TEAMS down on defense. He couldnt score as easily as McHale, few ever could, but he can still score with McHale.

[jdub1660]

No

KG over McHale
60-40

[RebusRankin]

KG. In his prime he was guarding top wing scorers like T-Mac and top post scorers like Duncan. He did this while being the #1 offensive option on his team, putting up over 20 a game, with double figure rebounding and superb passing. I was lucky, I got to see KG play live several times as a T-Wolf and I firmly believe that since those teams were so so (outside of KG) a lot of people don't realize how good he was.

The man took the Shaq/Kobe Lakers to 6 games in the WCF with no pg (CBA vet Derrick Martin) and an old, ailing Sprewell as option 2. That team was playing Ervin Johnson, Trenton Hassell, Mark Madesen and Fred Hoiberg in its regular play-off rotation.

[syfy9]

We're sittin' here, I'd pick KG as my franchise player, but in a single game I'd take McHale!

We talkin' 'bout the legends man, they're legends!

I know KG gives you shiny sweaty defense, I know that. But we're talkin' bout McHALE!

HOW THE HECK DOES SOMEEONE GUARD McHALE?

[mmmmm]

The answer is .... Kevin!!!!

Seriously.  In my opinion, no, McHale was not better overall than KG.

I give the edge in post scoring to McHale (though KG at his peak was pretty [dang] impressive around the hoop as well).  But pretty much every other aspect I give to KG. 

Even now, way past his 'prime', on offense, KG has actually become almost unreal in how efficiently he puts that long jump shot through the hoop.  He shot 48 freaking percent from 16-23 feet last year!  You can actually WIN basketball games taking nothing but that shot!

But defense is where KG sets himself apart.  I don't think any other player since Bill Russell has had the same kind of overall defensive impact to his team that KG brings.   KG's presence on the floor instantly makes any other 4 players world class, top-of-the-league on defense.   KG is probably the greatest defender of horizontal space across the paint ever.

As great as McHale was, I don't believe you could put  him on the floor with just any 4 players and instantly have a top ranked defensive unit.

[KGs Knee]

I'd say, overall, no.  KG is better overall.

I'll give the standard answer, McHale had the better post moves and overall offensive game.  But it's close.

McHale was a good defender, but KG is in my book the 2nd best defender all-time.  Only Russell is ahead.