Kevin garrnett

[Guest Ripper]

Kevin Garnett, even though it was a poor shooting night for him, has 18 points, 21 rebounds, 2 blocks and 6 assist. Noone else on his team outside of Chancey Billups is hitting any shots, so he gets to see 2-3 people run at him everytime he touched the ball. So whos fault is it the team lost?? Kevin Garnett of course because he didn't get enough shots over those 2-3 people at the end of the game. Even though he was kicking it out to wide open teamates who missed the shots, Kevin gets to be called soft and a "sidekick" type of player.   Weird.  

 

So we go to game two, much of the same, this time with Garnett getting 31 pts, and 18 rebounds.  The Wolves lose.  Guess who's fault its going to be.  

 

Garnett, night in and night out, works harder than most NBA players.  Most have to worry about playing their position and helping when needed.  Garrnetts responsibility is to play everyone on the court (using Flip Saunders zone defense that untilizing him,knowing he is their only good defensive player).  He has doubled his season rebound numbers thus far in the playoffs. Wally Z, Minnisotas "true superstar" has been non-existant.  Chauncy Billups has been great at getting his own shot, but has been a horrible point guard since Brandon went down.  Garnett is left with nothing to work with, yet he is constantly put down by the media as being soft and not demanding the ball in the fourth.  Funny.  This is the same media that when the Lakers lose, say it was Shaqs supporting cast that didn't get him the ball or didn't hit the shots he set for him.  Same for Tim Duncan, and most every other guy in the league.  So why is Kevin given so much critisism?  It might be he is the highest paid player in the leage, but doesn't he deserve it?  Without KG the Wolves not only would miss the playoffs, I believe they would be the worst team in the league.  Minnesota does nothing to try and hold on to free agents, they don't try to make the team better, they just expect Kevin to win with what ever he is on the floor with.  Thats just not fair to him.

 

So what do you think. Is the critisim that he gets unwarrented, or am I looking at it wrong.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

It IS unwarrented. Garnett has been one of the best players in the NBA for the past few years, but every single time the Wolves get bounced from the playoffs, it's always HIS fault. Nevermind the fact that Wally Z. disappears in most games, nevermind that Terrell Brandon is often injured(although he did play in last years' playoffs), it's ALWAYS KG's fault. The guy's unselfish enough to try and hit his open teammates with the ball whenever he gets double or triple-teamed and HE'S the one getting crucified by the media for the most part.

 

It seems that Kevin just can't win with some folks no matter what he does. Hell, he even said that in an interview before the game last night when talking about the "catch-22's" the critics use in regards to him.

 

Just once I'd like to see Garnett win the big one once just so he could thumb his nose at all the jackoffs who can't get their heads out of their asses for once and see what a great player he is.

[Guest What?!]

I think it is unwarranted too.

 

This is a guy who can play all 5 positions and sometimes he has too because the rest of his team ain't cutting it.

 

That being said, I wish he did get a bit greedy and shoot more. ???

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Seeing Garnett on a nightly basis no one is blaming Garnett for last nights game.

 

Garnett is the teams best players buy he's supposed to take over the game. Saying that he's triple teamed is crap. Tim Duncan doesn't have anyone and he's won an NBA championship, and is one of the best clutch players in the league.

He passes up shuts that he should be taking. A prime example of this was last year. He gave the ball up to Dean Garrett for a 18 footer with under a minute left. It's great that Garnett gets his teammates involved but at crunch time he needs to step up and prove he's truly one of the elite players in the NBA.

[Guest Ripper]

I'm gonna have to disagree with you there.  Duncan had Robinson(still was one hell of a player then) Avery Johnson(solid point guard) Sean Elliot, Mario Elie(ain't much, but I would take him over Peeler).  Duncan had PLENTY of help on the way to the championship.  This year he has Robinson(not the player he used to be but will still get you 10 and 10) Danny Ferry, Steve Smith, Tony Parker, Antionio Daniels, Malik Rose... Garnett has Wally, Terrell when he isn't hurt, and maybe Chauncey Billups.  Come on now, if you were a opposing team, are you telling me that you wouldn't run everything at Garnett if you have the chance.  It is a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. If he misses a forced shot over a double team when there was a guy open, he will get cruxified for not giving the ball up.  If he passes it up to the wide open guy and he misses, he gets cruxified for not taking the shot himself.  The only difference between Garnett and the Shaqs and Duncans of the leage is that when they give the ball up, they have Derek Fishers, Robert Horry's, Steve Smiths and Danny Ferrys that will hit their shots while Garnett has Anthony Peeler and Chancey Billups.

[Guest DrTom]

I think a lot of people, fans and sportswriters alike, harbor resentment toward Garnett over his contract situation a few years ago.  Remember when he said he was "insulted" by the Bucks' offer of six years at over $100 million?  That left a sour taste in the mouths of a lot of people, and it no doubt colors how Garnett is perceived today.

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

I think a lot of people, fans and sportswriters alike, harbor resentment toward Garnett over his contract situation a few years ago.  Remember when he said he was "insulted" by the Bucks' offer of six years at over $100 million?  That left a sour taste in the mouths of a lot of people, and it no doubt colors how Garnett is perceived today.

I think that's a part of it too. To me, KG never should have done something as self-centered as that because it's part of the reason why the Wolves can never get any quality free agents because there's not much room under the cap to afford them.

[Guest Ripper]

Yep, I'm gonna have to say that its bull.  There isn't room under the cap because the have over paid for Joe Smith(nothing more than a backup power forward) Brandon(way too much money) Peeler(it anthony freakin peeler) and numorus others (are they really in a bidding war for Sam Mitchell that they have to boost his pay).  Garnett never said that he was insulted by any offer.  His AGENT said that he himself found the offer insulting.  In my opinion, he as earned every penny of his contract, you know, stopping the team from being  in last place and all.

[Guest phoenixrising]

I think part of the resentment toward Garnett came from his signing that six year, $120 million contract.  Remember, he was really the one who began the high school to the NBA path, and was rewarded $20 million a year for it - it was the largest NBA contract at that time if I recall.  I think there is still some resentment because he has that kind of money and never went to college, and that the T'Wolves haven't managed to advance past the first round (of course, they hadn't gotten to the playoffs before Garnett showed up).  Personally, Garnett's earned that money, but the T'Wolves usually run into good teams in the playoffs and there's no one to take the heat off him.  Players can only step up so much, but if there's double and triple teams on you and no one to take the heat off there isn't much you can do.

[Guest]

fuck him and all greedy athletes, him and arod.  If garnett took less money, they wouldn;t have gotten rid of googs, and maybe could win.  What can you do with a 120 million that you can;t do with 80 million?

 

--Rob

[Guest AlwaysPissedOff]

By the time Garnett got the contract, Googs was already a broken down hass-been who was injured almost every other month. Wasn't he in Phoenix by then, anyway?

[Guest goodhelmet]

no, he was still with the team IF memory serves correctly.

 

Either way, any player with a 100 million dollar contract, who can't get his team out of the first round of the playoffs, deserves every single bit of criticism coming his way.

[Guest Redhawk]

Garnett's chances of ever winning a title in Minnesota took a BIG hit when Marbury got traded. I know everyone thinks Marbury is just a ball-hoging PG, ut he didn't get that way until he started playing for Jersey and had no support at all.

 

As it stands today, I think Garnett is trying as hard as he can and actually playing well, but his 18 and 21 cancels out against Dirk's 30 and 15. So after that it's the MAvericks' supporting cast versus  Minnesota's and we all know who's gonna win there.

[Guest Human Fly]

I think it is deserved. Just like the criticism of Vince Carter is deserved. When you have a big fat contract like those guys you are expected to deliver. Everyone who says Garnett needs to shoot more is wrong, he shoots plenty and needs to get his teammates more involved.

[Guest ant_7000]

I think kinda fair and unfair criticism on KG is trying his best and playing well but he needs 2 dominate at crunch time, and KG doesnt have enough help and the Wolves wont get it unless they have to trade for good players cuz they're over the cap and not KG fault i think deserves the money and its the organization fault for that Joe Smith secret salary thing which he doesnt deserve and 4 that the Wovles will not have a 1st round pick for 4 years so I blame the organization for not making this any better than it should be.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

You have to have a supporting cast to be able to win. Jordan had teammates who were role-players, but they could hit shots when teams double-teamed MJ during the late portions of close games. The Lakers have players who aren't superstars that will hit big shots when the superstars get double-teamed. Superstars can't take every shot when crunch time comes.

[Guest El Hijo Del Lunatic]

A 20-10-5 guy is a 20-10-5 guy.  There are maybe ten people in the NBA capable of those numbers night in and night out and Garnett's one of them.

 

If anything, Garnett's really what's getting Minnesota anywhere near the playoffs.  He's got that team on his back, and we all know it.  If we didn't know it, we wouldn't be having this discussion.  The T-Wolves really don't have much else, so all the critiquing goes on his shoulders.  It's unfortunate, really.

 

I think it is deserved. Just like the criticism of Vince Carter is deserved. When you have a big fat contract like those guys you are expected to deliver. Everyone who says Garnett needs to shoot more is wrong, he shoots plenty and needs to get his teammates more involved.

No, no, no, no, no, no, NO.  KG does pretty much everything in his power to get his teammates involved.  Look at Wally Szczerbiak.  He is quite lucky to be a second option anywhere in the NBA, but there he is in Minnesota.  He's a ballhog, a jerk, an overinflated egomaniac that would've bombed out in any other city with any other superstar.  Yet, he's scoring 18 a game for the T-Wolves, due largely in part to KG's willingness to put up with his bullshit.

 

If garnett took less money, they wouldn;t have gotten rid of googs, and maybe could win.  

Since when has Googs equalled winning?  I mean, I realize the need for a second post presence in Minnesota, but JEEZ ...

 

Garnett's chances of ever winning a title in Minnesota took a BIG hit when Marbury got traded. I know everyone thinks Marbury is just a ball-hoging PG, ut he didn't get that way until he started playing for Jersey and had no support at all.

I don't think Stephon Marbury is that huge of an upgrade over Chauncey Billups.  Maybe in terms of talent, but Billups had played very well for Minnesota this past year as a third option, stepping right in for Terrell Brandon.  

 

I think that if the T-Wolves could find themselves another post presence (be it Joe Smith, Loren Woods, or someone else) that will help immensely.  I also kinda think that the one thing Garnett needs to start doing is get to the foul line more.  He missed more layups in this series than he should've, and while he took a lot of contact when he missed them, he needs to start making those.  I think that he needs to work on going to the hole a little more in the regular season, so when the playoffs come around, he's ready for a little more banging.  

 

LUNATIC

I love how now, everyone with a radio show is saying "Everyone makes excuses for Garnett, but I'll be the guy to go on a limb and say that it might be his fault."  See?  Even when members of the sports media try to differentiate, they STILL end up saying the same damn thing.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

Can anyone honesly say that San Antonio has more talent than Minnesota. The T-Wolves have all the first round and lottery picks. Maybe the Spurs are the better coached team.

 

Here's something of interest. In the '96 draft the Suns offered pick #15 to the Wolves for Chris Carr. That pick turned out to be Steve Nash. Imagine if the Allen/Marbury trade wouldn't of gone through. The Wolves could of had Garnett, Allen, and Nash.

[Guest Ripper]

Yeah, but Steve Nash got better under the guides of Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson, 2 future hall of fame point guards. He might not have been as good if he went to Minnesota.

[Guest Redhawk]

I don't think Stephon Marbury is that huge of an upgrade over Chauncey Billups.  Maybe in terms of talent, but Billups had played very well for Minnesota this past year as a third option, stepping right in for Terrell Brandon.

Marbury and Garnett had that chemistry that few point guard-big man combos have. A few more years, and they would have been on that Stockton-Malone, Payton-Kemp, Penny-Shaq level.

[Guest Human Fly]

Too bad Marbury is a fool and ruined it. He got closer to home for a few years, but now he's in Phoenix 3 times as far then when he was in Minnesota.

[Guest Redhawk]

That was kind of messed up, though. Everyone knew Marbury meant the Knicks when he said he wanted to play close to home. This was back when the Knicks were good, too. Then they send him to Jersey. That was wrong.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

The Nets sent Cassell to the Bucks, The Bucks sent brandon to the T'Wolves and Marbury went to the Nets. The T'Wolves wanted a pointguard out of the deal and they got one. New York didn't have anything that the T'Wolves wanted, nor could they have offered anything that would have benefited anyone in a multiple trade with the T'Wolves. I don't know what marbury ruined, since the Nets upgraded and the Suns thought they were upgrading. I am willing to bet the Nets would do it again if they had the chance.