Its gotta be killing KG to see Duncan

[SparzWizard]

We seriously would have made a three-peat if it weren't for the injury in 2009. But fighting the Lakers in the finals that time would have been very difficult as they had the Odom-Gasol-Ariza lineup and a much stronger and younger Kobe than he is today. And then in 2010...KG would have been dominating and the Lakers would have probably been decimated that year. I wouldn't have seen us getting past Miami in 2011 though. Man, if injuries never existed 

And yup, it's killing KG to watch Duncan in the finals 

[dark_lord]

I feel as though if KG just dialed it back a tad....he could/would have been a better player he currently is/was known for.

u got to be kidding me.  if kg did that, he wouldn't be kg

[CelticConcourse]

I feel as though if KG just dialed it back a tad....he could/would have been a better player he currently is/was known for.

u got to be kidding me.  if kg did that, he wouldn't be kg

dude his body can't go on forever // he can't be who he used to be

[hpantazo]

I feel as though if KG just dialed it back a tad....he could/would have been a better player he currently is/was known for.

u got to be kidding me.  if kg did that, he wouldn't be kg

dude his body can't go on forever // he can't be who he used to be

As Charles Barkley says, father time is undefeated.

[ronaldo943]

I feel as though if KG just dialed it back a tad....he could/would have been a better player he currently is/was known for.

u got to be kidding me.  if kg did that, he wouldn't be kg

dude his body can't go on forever // he can't be who he used to be

Explain Duncan to me then? Duncan got healthier and his will to win has got his team to the finals.

[LarBrd33]

Duncan is performing at a level close to his prime.  The guy doesn't age.  His per-36 minute numbers are pretty much identical throughout his whole career.

KG is still probably the most important player on the Celtics when he's on the court... but his decline is more apparent. 


Duncan Per-36
                                         

Code: [Select]

Season     FG%  FT%  TRB AST STL BLK  PTS
1997-98   .549 .662 11.0 2.5 0.6 2.3 19.4
1998-99   .495 .690 10.5 2.2 0.8 2.3 19.9
1999-00   .490 .761 11.5 2.9 0.8 2.1 21.5
2000-01   .499 .618 11.3 2.8 0.8 2.2 20.6
2001-02   .508 .799 11.3 3.3 0.7 2.2 22.6
2002-03   .513 .710 11.8 3.6 0.6 2.7 21.3
2003-04   .501 .599 12.2 3.0 0.9 2.6 21.9
2004-05   .496 .670 12.0 2.9 0.7 2.8 21.9
2005-06   .484 .629 11.4 3.3 0.9 2.1 19.2
2006-07   .546 .637 11.2 3.6 0.9 2.5 21.1
2007-08   .497 .730 12.0 3.0 0.8 2.1 20.5
2008-09   .504 .692 11.4 3.8 0.5 1.8 20.7
2009-10   .518 .725 11.6 3.6 0.7 1.7 20.6
2010-11   .500 .716 11.3 3.4 0.8 2.4 17.1
2011-12   .492 .695 11.5 2.9 0.8 1.9 19.7
2012-13   .502 .817 11.9 3.2 0.9 3.2 21.3
Career    .507 .693 11.5 3.1 0.8 2.3 20.7


Kevin Garnett Per-36

Code: [Select]

Season     FG%  FT%  TRB AST STL BLK  PTS
1995-96   .491 .705  7.9 2.3 1.4 2.1 13.1
1996-97   .499 .754  7.4 2.8 1.3 2.0 15.7
1997-98   .491 .738  8.8 3.9 1.6 1.7 17.0
1998-99   .460 .704  9.9 4.1 1.6 1.7 19.8
1999-00   .497 .765 10.6 4.5 1.3 1.4 20.6
2000-01   .477 .764 10.4 4.5 1.2 1.6 20.1
2001-02   .470 .801 11.1 4.8 1.1 1.4 19.4
2002-03   .502 .751 11.9 5.4 1.2 1.4 20.4
2003-04   .499 .791 12.7 4.6 1.3 2.0 22.1
2004-05   .502 .811 12.8 5.4 1.4 1.3 21.0
2005-06   .526 .810 11.8 3.7 1.3 1.3 20.2
2006-07   .476 .835 11.7 3.8 1.1 1.5 20.5
2007-08   .539 .801 10.1 3.8 1.5 1.4 20.7
2008-09   .531 .841  9.9 2.9 1.3 1.4 18.3
2009-10   .521 .837  8.8 3.2 1.2 1.0 17.3
2010-11   .528 .862 10.2 2.8 1.5 0.9 17.1
2011-12   .503 .857  9.5 3.4 1.1 1.2 18.3
2012-13   .496 .786  9.4 2.8 1.4 1.1 17.9
Career    .498 .790 10.4 3.9 1.3 1.5 19.0
The good news is... it's gotta be hard for KG to retire knowing that Duncan is still out there dominating at age 37.  I think Duncan had the highest defensive rating in the league this year.

[PhoSita]

Duncan is performing at a level close to his prime.  The guy doesn't age.  His per-36 minute numbers are pretty much identical throughout his whole career.

KG is still probably the most important player on the Celtics when he's on the court... but his decline is more apparent.

Duncan has found ways to adjust to his declining athleticism and energy and continue to produce.  He's also had his minutes managed during that time and he's respected his coach enough to go along with that plan.

KG has never had the fundamental skills and discipline that Duncan had, so he hasn't had the same ability to adjust to his declining athleticism.  Also, Doc isn't as radical as Pop in terms of managing minutes. 

In fairness, the Celtics haven't had the depth and talent on the roster to make that as easy as it has been for the Spurs.

[Celtics4ever]

Duncan is a fundamentally sound skill guy.   Skills don't decline ( as long as they are still being used a lot) but physcial ability does over time.  A jump hook is hard to block whether the guy can jump or not and I have always loved the way Duncan uses the backboard.   Aiming a shot on the backboard has a higher point of aim than a regular jumper hence it too is harder to block.  Duncan has always used these two things very well. 

His game is also heavily based in footwork and positioning also two things you tend to get better at over time.

[ACF]

Kg isn't Duncan, never has been, never will be...did it also kill him to see Dirk dominate his way to a title with his original team without a paul pierce type ? Who cares

You cared enough to reply. If you don't,  then just don't.

[dark_lord]

I feel as though if KG just dialed it back a tad....he could/would have been a better player he currently is/was known for.

u got to be kidding me.  if kg did that, he wouldn't be kg

dude his body can't go on forever // he can't be who he used to be

obviously he can't go on forever, duh common sense.

what makes kg, kg...is his his intensity and approach to the game.  he still has game, but he needs less minutes.  if kg cant be kg, he should retire.  id rather him walk away than try and change his game or demeanor.

[Moranis]

KG put himself into a lot of the mess in Minnesota by signing that massive contract which totally hamstrung Minnesota.

[sed522002]

Before we go to comparing KG and Duncan (both GREAT in different ways). We have to also look at the help they had at that position.

It doesn't hurt that Duncan had Robinson at the beginning of his career (SOLID help) and other serviceable big men. Even now, Duncan has Splitter, who can at least spell him some minutes without the entire team falling off.

At this stage, KG shouldn't have to be heavily depended on and utilized in order to win a game. That's on management.

[KGs Knee]

KG put himself into a lot of the mess in Minnesota by signing that massive contract which totally hamstrung Minnesota.

So it was KG's fault Minny's front office broke rules, and was penalized so harshly, it took them years to recover?  Was it KG's fault Stephon Marbury turned out to be a greedy, selfish punk, who left what could have been a dynamic-duo?

[Moranis]

KG put himself into a lot of the mess in Minnesota by signing that massive contract which totally hamstrung Minnesota.

So it was KG's fault Minny's front office broke rules, and was penalized so harshly, it took them years to recover?  Was it KG's fault Stephon Marbury turned out to be a greedy, selfish punk, who left what could have been a dynamic-duo?

Marbury was traded. 

Minnesota was so hamstrung by KG's contract they tried to skirt the rules with Joe Smith.  Do they do that with a lot more financial flexibility, I would think not?  Minnesota didn't have to give him the contract, but they couldn't very well let him walk either, but lets not pretend that his contract didn't cause a lot of the problems for the Timberwolves.  It absolutely did.  I mean Garnett signed a 6 year, 126 million dollar extension at a time when the NBA salary cap was in the low 30's annually.  In other words, KG was over 60% of Minnesota's cap for much of his time.  If you don't think that is going to destroy a teams ability to acquire players you are nuts.

[BballTim]

KG put himself into a lot of the mess in Minnesota by signing that massive contract which totally hamstrung Minnesota.

So it was KG's fault Minny's front office broke rules, and was penalized so harshly, it took them years to recover?  Was it KG's fault Stephon Marbury turned out to be a greedy, selfish punk, who left what could have been a dynamic-duo?

Marbury was traded. 

Minnesota was so hamstrung by KG's contract they tried to skirt the rules with Joe Smith.  Do they do that with a lot more financial flexibility, I would think not?  Minnesota didn't have to give him the contract, but they couldn't very well let him walk either, but lets not pretend that his contract didn't cause a lot of the problems for the Timberwolves.  It absolutely did.  I mean Garnett signed a 6 year, 126 million dollar extension at a time when the NBA salary cap was in the low 30's annually.  In other words, KG was over 60% of Minnesota's cap for much of his time.  If you don't think that is going to destroy a teams ability to acquire players you are nuts.

  The big problem with KG's contract was that the league changed the rules after he signed it and those rule changes hurt the Wolves. Blaming KG for problems that came up in the next cba is ridiculous.