Why has Duncan aged better than KG?

[pokeKingCurtis]

Timmy had a shooting funk earlier this season.

[dang] IT DOC, why you gotta ruin KG for us?

[Boris Badenov]

Garnett has player 6,000 more NBA minutes. Also, Duncan hasn't had a devastating knee injury in his mid-30s.

I agree with you about the injury, but the minute comparison is not complete.

Duncan has played many more playoff minutes (8000 vs. 5000), and has had many longer seasons by dint of playing deep into the playoffs. So, their total "mileage" is actually not as different as the regular season minute comparison would imply.

[D.o.s.]

I think Simmons kind of nailed in in TBOB. In addition to the injury, KG played every game he was in like it was Game 7 of the Finals. Duncan understood when he could coast.

[Boris Badenov]

I think Simmons kind of nailed in in TBOB. In addition to the injury, KG played every game he was in like it was Game 7 of the Finals. Duncan understood when he could coast.

I was just about to post almost the exact same thought - KG just seemed to expend so much more effort on every possession.

[SHAQATTACK]

Whoa....Hump.......get that .....blank...off my board 

[BballTim]

I've always been one of the guys who thought that regardless of rings, KG is better than Tim Duncan. I know alot of me would disagree, probably even alot of Celtics fans, but why are they on different levels at this stage of the game right now?

Timmy is still an ALL NBA player and KG is declining worse every year. Is it health?

I'd love some feedback on this.

  Duncan was all nba last year, but wasn't either of the previous two. Since the beginning of the 10-11 season KG's averaged 14/8, Duncan's averaged 15/9. KG's off to a to a rough start this year but they've been fairly equal recently.

[SHAQATTACK]

Genes

[Celtics4ever]

Duncan was all about fundamentals.  He never was a superb athlete.   Athletic ability fades with age.  KG was more athletic freak and as he ages this fade of ability affects him more.

[Onslaught]

1. He was always better.

2. I've aged better then all my friends too. Because just like Duncan I was never all that fast or athletic. It's a basic, fundamentals game that ages well. KG game on the other hand won't stand up to the test of time as well because he's slowing down.

[wahz]

1. He was always better.

2. I've aged better then all my friends too. Because just like Duncan I was never all that fast or athletic. It's a basic, fundamentals game that ages well. KG game on the other hand won't stand up to the test of time as well because he's slowing down.

While that won't be popular here it's exactly right imho.
KG was never as good. Tim was underrated. And with all of KG's bluster it has been so odd that he was so awful on fundamental rebounding and boxing out. He would have saved his body.

[BASS_THUMPER]

he has a better game than KG
Duncan is a TRUE center
his game reflects that

[timobusa]

Duncan had David Robinson early in his career, and then had Tony Parker and Manu Ginobilli, and most important of all, Greg Poppovic.

Imagine if KG had a player like David Robinson early in Minnesota, and then had a Rajon Rondo and a Paul Pierce in KG's prime around 2003-2008, and a top 5 coach.

I think Timmy and KG would have 5 to 8 finals appearance and have 4 rings each.

[GreenFaith1819]

Duncan had David Robinson early in his career, and then had Tony Parker and Manu Ginobilli, and most important of all, Greg Poppovic.

Imagine if KG had a player like David Robinson early in Minnesota, and then had a Rajon Rondo and a Paul Pierce in KG's prime around 2003-2008, and a top 5 coach.

I think Timmy and KG would have 5 to 8 finals appearance and have 4 rings each.

This.

It's all about the hand that you're dealt, in some cases.

[crimson_stallion]

As somebody else said, I think the level of decline (or lack thereof) has been exhagerated in both cases.

Everyone talks about KG like he's gone way downhill the last few years, and they talk about Duncan as if he's defied the laws of aging.  It kind of irritates me because if you look at their raw numbers it's clearly not the case.  Both players have been remarkably consistently over the years given their age, and both have declined at pretty much identical rates.

First lets look at KG's raw numbers over the years:

Season	Team	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	FG%	FT%
06-07	MIN	39.4	22.4	12.8	4.1	1.2	1.7	2.7	2.4	47.6	83.5
07-08	BOS	32.8	18.8	9.2	3.4	1.4	1.3	1.9	2.3	53.9	80.1
08-09	BOS	31.1	15.8	8.5	2.5	1.1	1.2	1.6	2.2	53.1	84.1
09-10	BOS	29.9	14.3	7.3	2.7	1.0	0.8	1.5	2.5	52.1	83.7
10-11	BOS	31.3	14.9	8.9	2.4	1.3	0.8	1.6	2.1	52.8	86.2
11-12	BOS	31.1	15.8	8.2	2.9	0.9	1.0	1.8	2.4	50.3	85.7
12-13	BOS	29.7	14.8	7.8	2.3	1.1	0.9	1.6	2.3	49.6	78.6
13-14	BOS	22.5	6.5	7.5	1.8	0.9	0.8	1.2	2.8	37.1	85.7

Clearly his numbers have declined almost every season, but so have his minutes.  Lets take a look at his stats since Per 36 minutes, which will show you how incredibly consistent he has been:

Season	Team	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	FG%	FT%
06-07	MIN	20.5	11.7	3.7	1.1	1.6	2.5	2.2	47.6	83.5
07-08	BOS	20.6	10.1	3.7	1.5	1.4	2.1	2.5	53.9	80.1
08-09	BOS	18.3	9.8	2.9	1.3	1.4	1.9	2.5	53.1	84.1
09-10	BOS	17.2	8.8	3.3	1.2	1.0	1.8	3.0	52.1	83.7
10-11	BOS	17.1	10.2	2.8	1.5	0.9	1.8	2.4	52.8	86.2
11-12	BOS	18.3	9.5	3.4	1.0	1.2	2.1	2.8	50.3	85.7
12-13	BOS	17.9	9.5	2.8	1.3	1.1	1.9	2.8	49.6	78.6
13-14	BOS	10.4	12.0	2.9	1.4	1.3	1.9	4.5	37.1	85.7

While he did experience a drop in scoring production after his first season in Boston, that was largely a result of his reduced role in the offense, with:
a) Pierce being the primary scorer
b) The emergence of Rondo
c) Ray Allen being the secondary scorer

His other stats (including his rebounding, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers) all remained very close to the 2008 championship season, while his FG% and FT% all the way up until last seaso were still exceptional. 

Even this season (in which he's been considered a big drop off) all of his statistics outside of scoring have been up there with the 2009 season - rebounds are higher, while assists, steals, blocks, turnovers and free throw percentage are right up there.  He's just struggling with his shot (which shows in the outright scoring and FG%) and he's struggling with fouls. 

His rebounding this season is actually the best he has rebounded since before the 2007 season in Minnesota.

Now lets look at Duncan's stats:

Season	Team	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	FG%	FT%
06-07	SAS	34.1	20.0	10.6	3.4	0.8	2.4	2.8	2.5	54.6	63.7
07-08	SAS	34.0	19.3	11.3	2.8	0.7	1.9	3.5	2.4	49.7	73.0
08-09	SAS	33.7	19.3	10.7	3.5	0.5	1.7	2.2	2.3	50.4	69.2
09-10	SAS	31.3	17.9	10.1	3.2	0.6	1.5	1.8	1.9	51.8	72.5
10-11	SAS	28.4	13.4	8.9	2.7	0.7	1.9	1.6	1.6	50.0	71.6
11-12	SAS	28.2	15.4	9.0	2.3	0.7	1.5	1.7	1.7	49.2	69.5
12-13	SAS	30.1	17.8	9.9	2.7	0.7	2.7	2.1	2.1	50.2	81.7
13-14	SAS	27.9	13.1	8.1	2.9	0.4	1.9	1.8	1.8	44.4	74.5

Just like KG, you can see the decline in his output:
- His scoring has dropped by 7 PPG
- His rebounding has dropped by 2 RPG
- His assists have stayed around the same level
- His steals have remained consistent
- His blocks have fluctuated quite a bit
- His FG% dropped off significantly after 06-07, then again this year
- His FT% has remained consistent

Once again if we work out out per 36 minutes, you'll see he has declined a little, but has been pretty consistent over the years:

Season	Team	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	FG%	FT%
06-07	SAS	21.1	11.2	3.6	0.8	2.5	3.0	2.6	54.6	63.7
07-08	SAS	20.4	12.0	3.0	0.7	2.0	3.7	2.5	49.7	73.0
08-09	SAS	20.6	11.4	3.7	0.5	1.8	2.4	2.5	50.4	69.2
09-10	SAS	20.6	11.6	3.7	0.7	1.7	2.1	2.2	51.8	72.5
10-11	SAS	17.0	11.3	3.4	0.9	2.4	2.0	2.0	50.0	71.6
11-12	SAS	19.7	11.5	2.9	0.9	1.9	2.2	2.2	49.2	69.5
12-13	SAS	21.3	11.8	3.2	0.8	3.2	2.5	2.5	50.2	81.7
13-14	SAS	16.9	10.5	3.7	0.5	2.5	2.3	2.3	44.4	74.5

Just like KG, Duncan has seen a massive drop off with his scoring this year - both his outright scoring numbers as well as his field goal percentage.  Like KG his other stats (rebounding, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers) have all remained pretty consistent on a "Per 36 minute". 

The only real significant difference I see is that KG's foul rate has gone up significantly, while Duncan's has remained at the same general level.  Otherwise the relative decline we have seen from both players has been remarkably similar. 

Duncan has clearly declined just as much as KG has over the years (which is not all that much, all things considered) - it's just that over the past 2 seasons he's been on a team that is winning lots of games, while KG has been on teams that have struggled.  People tend to unfairly judge individual players on the basis of how their team performs, and if Brooklyn was dominating teams right now and had a record on par with Miami/Indiana people would be talking about how amazing KG still is as well.  It's all about perception.

[ManUp]

Better supporting cast, better coaching and a style of play that didn't rely on speed and athleticism.