Can We Finally Say Kevin Garnett Is An All-Time Top 20 Player Based On His Prolific Season?

By David Shepard, OTSL Special Contributor

Kevin Garnett and company came up very big against the Miami Heat. Garnett certainly lived up to his “Big Ticket” nickname, going 11-14 from the field on the road to defeat Miami 115-107.

The Boston Celtics have an 18-7 record since the all-star break. They have also been an Eastern Conference best 8-2 over their past 10 games. All season the consensus from many experts has been Chicago and Miami are the only relevant teams in the East. However, in large part due to the play of Garnett the Celtics once again find themselves as an Eastern Conference contender.

Keep in mind Garnett is the only active player in the top 20 in both career points and rebounds. In his 17th season he is putting up very prolific numbers. He does not get the headlines of a Kobe, LeBron or even a D-Wade or Kevin Durant. He is however, showing no signs of slowing down.

All three players aside from Garnett were selected to list of the 50 greatest players in NBA history by an expert panel in 1996. Many NBA experts consider Hakeem and Shaq to be All-Time top 10 players. In examining recent big men in the last 20 seasons (I do consider Garnett a big man, he is listed at 6'11, and has often been reported to be 7 feet) Garnett compares favorably with these legends of the game.

The only player who averaged more points per contest in their 17th season was Shaq, but Garnett matched him in rebounds per game and is much more of a facilitator.

Recent Great Big Men In 17th Season

PPG RPG APG Season

Hakeem Olajuwon 11.9 7.4 1.2 2000-01

Patrick Ewing 6.0 4.0 0.5 2001-02

Shaquille O'Neal 17.8 8.4 1.7 2008-09

Kevin Garnett 15.8 8.2 3.0 2011-12

The three active power forwards who are going to be first ballot hall of famers are Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett. Most NBA experts consider Duncan to be an all-time great and Bill Simmons was quoted as saying Dirk Nowitzki has become a top 25 player within the past year. It is Garnett who has shown improvement over the past three seasons. Garnett happens to be in his 17th season and has more tread on his tires than 15-year NBA veteran Tim Duncan and 14-year NBA veteran Dirk Nowitzki. Meanwhile these two players over the past three seasons are going in the opposite direction of Garnett.

Past 3 Seasons

Kevin Garnett Tim Duncan Dirk Nowitzki

PPG RPG APG PPG RPG APG PPG RPG APG

2011-12 15.8 8.3 3.0 15.0 9.2 2.4 21.1 6.8 2.2

2010-11 14.9 8.9 2.4 13.4 8.9 2.7 23.0 7.0 2.6

2009-10 14.3 7.3 2.7 17.9 10.1 3.2 25.0 7.7 2.7

Despite being in his 17th season it is Garnett who has more 20-Point, 10-rebound games while shooting at least 50% from the field this season than both Nowitzki and Duncan. The only player 30 years or older to have more 20-point, 10-rebound games while shooting at least 50% from the floor this season is Paul Gasol. Garnett has been in the association for 6 more years.

20-Point, 10-Rebound, 50%FG Games This Season, 30 Years Or Older

Season

Pau Gasol 8 11th

Kevin Garnett 5 17th

Carlos Boozer 5 10th

Dirk Nowitzki 4 14th

Tim Duncan 3 15th

The only true power forward to be selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star roster this season was Chris Bosh. Yet despite being 8 years younger it is Garnett who has proven to be the better player than Bosh in the 2011-12 campaign.

Garnett Is Beast Of East

This Season

Garnett Bosh

PPG 15.8 17.9

RPG 8.2 7.7

APG 3.0 1.8

FG% 51.4 48.2

Season 17th 9th

The prevailing opinion coming into this season was that the Celtics would go as far as PG Rajon Rondo would take them. Of late, it has been Old Man Garnett who has led them back to the top of the Atlantic Division and put them back into the conversation of teams to watch out for once the post-season gets under way on April 28th.