They don't want to face the LAKERS in the playoffs....the last three years i think they are a compbined 1-12?....in the series....Duncan is great but that's about it, parker is nice but they don't have a center anymore either....I have to disagree withyou On KG....one well placed elbow and he seems to fade...especialy in the 4th quater...he put's upi nice #'s but they are kind of like McGrady's #'s....so what? they never play significant games....and they are the only good players on their teams..
MJ, the greatest ever....
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They don't want to face the LAKERS in the playoffs....the last three years i think they are a compbined 1-12?....in the series....Duncan is great but that's about it, parker is nice but they don't have a center anymore either....I have to disagree withyou On KG....one well placed elbow and he seems to fade...especialy in the 4th quater...he put's upi nice #'s but they are kind of like McGrady's #'s....so what? they never play significant games....and they are the only good players on their teams..
Today I pick Shaq, only because MJ is not MJ in his prime.
Over the course of their respective careers, I pick MJ.
Shaq playing at the age of 40?
At the age of 40 Shaq will be taking up 2 or 3 stools as a cop in southern Louisiana in some Dunkin Donut shop.
I am still hard pressed not to pick His Airness. Even at 40, his court presence and savvy is undeniable. I don't think Washington is suitable for the oldster. Now, place him neatly in New Jersey and Bingo. Add him to Sacramento, killer squad. At the tail end of his career he could easily have added the right chemistry to both of those teams. I would have loved to have seen him in NJ as the sixth man. Easily able to stabilize a game, cover needed minutes, augment a good offense, extend a good defense.
Would have been interesting to see him in Sacramento too. The concern that an opponent would have to give to Mike coming off the bench with that quality of squad would showcase the whole team. You see, if age is becoming a factor then you have to a): plan and develop a team for the future after he's gone, or b):, add him to a squad that is just about to crest and needs that hunger of getting the next ring. The way to do that is to add a vet who has that desire to that squad and allow the experience to filter.
Portland tried to do it, but the team player concept/chemistry never quite got there. It is difficult to build a winner that way, but you can create one if the parts are there. History has not been kind to too many teams that tried it that way. Clearly management has to plan for that type of outcome.
I am old enough to remember when Philly bought the so called un-stoppable squad. Lloyd (World) B. Free, Daryl Dawkins, Mo Cheeks, Dr. J., and a cast of players of whom each one could explode for 30 points a night. The trouble, not enough ego space (or basketballs) to go around. It would have been interesting to see if someone could have got that type of mileage with Mike. The Doctor finally did it and the experiment sorta worked.
KG MVP?
Why Garnett should be Most Valuable Player
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By Peter May
Special to ESPN.com
I had to stifle a chuckle recently when the Kobe Slobbering went into overdrive. Yes, what he did with his scoring -- and what he continues to do -- is remarkable. Yes, his outbursts got the Lakers all the way into, um, seventh place.
In other words, what Kobe Bryant did over a period of two to three weeks, a guy in Minnesota has been doing for six years. And Kevin Garnett has nothing close to someone like Shaquille O'Neal on his team. No one does.
Kevin Garnett ranks in the top 16 in five offensive categories, including field-goal percentage.
It's easy to overlook the routine, night-in, night-out greatness of Garnett because he's numbingly consistent, his team has never made it out of the first round of the playoffs and he plays in Minnesota. (The weather report in the Twin Cities noted that it would remain "cool." The temperature: three degrees below zero.) He has been criticized for being too unselfish, for not asserting himself in the fourth quarter and for being good enough but not great enough to carry his team to a seven-game series.
Maybe this year will be different. Maybe it won't. (At the very least, the Timberwolves will play in a best-of-seven for the first time, since the NBA is implementing them for the first round and saying goodbye to best-of-five.) Since Jan. 1, the Timberwolves have the second-best record in the league behind San Antonio. (The top five teams since Jan. 1 are in the Western Conference. There's a shocker.) As it stands now, the Timberwolves own the fifth-best record in the West, which would match Minny's best seeding ever as well as making it yet another series without home-court advantage.
Minnesota's record is good enough to be the No. 1 seed in the East, which is a story for another day. The team was 12-1 in the month of February, and Garnett -- not Kobe -- was named the Western Conference's Player of the Month. This came on the heels of Garnett being named the Most Valuable Player in the last All-Star Game with Michael Jordan and the last one without LeBron James.
It's not always a wise idea to promote MVPs with five weeks left in the regular season, but Garnett is making a most convincing case. And what in his history indicates that there will be any significant dropoff between now and April 16? We all know that Shaq is the putative MVP, but his team has struggled this season and so has he. Tim Duncan, the reigning award winner, is always a worthy choice. Jason Kidd should have won it last year and he is continuing to make New Jersey successful and relevant, always a daunting task.
Garnett is averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists. And his numbers in those categories prior to this season were pretty impressive. It's no secret that future NBA center and high draft choice Darko Milicic didn't hesitate when asked about his favorite NBA player: Garnett. Why? Because Garnett is versatile, energetic and a team leader.
He has got to be on everyone's short-short list for MVP. What hasn't he done? The Wolves, in the midst of a brutal schedule stretch (eight straight games against Western Conference playoff teams) are on the same pace as last year's 50-win season. They have the best home record in the conference (27-5.) They have managed to win without having Terrell Brandon for a single possession and with Wally Szczerbiak (30 games) and Joe Smith (25) missing significant stretches. While that is also an undeniable tribute to coach Flip Saunders and his staff, it's also a reflection of the burden and weight that falls on Garnett on a daily basis.
You won't see Garnett hors de combat. The guy just doesn't miss games. He has played in every game this season while logging more than 40 minutes a game. He missed one game last year -- for personal reasons. He missed one the year before -- a meaningless regular-season finale. He generally comes to play in the postseason as well. He averaged 24 points, 18.7 rebounds and five assists last year against Dallas; it wasn't enough as the Wolves were swept in three games.
No one has done more for his team. The Wolves are winning in a ridiculously difficult conference -- and no team has more ridiculous road trips. He puts up numbers in all relevant categories and even irrelevant ones, like technical fouls.
That will continue to be Garnett's millstone, which is both unfair and unfortunate. Until the Timberwolves do something in the playoffs, Garnett will have to accept being saluted and honored for what he does from November to April. But that is the time frame for MVPs, as well as Rookies of the Year and Coaches of the Year. Garnett is always among the top five or six MVP candidates. This year, he should be at the top. No one has done more for his team. The Wolves are winning in a ridiculously difficult conference -- and no team has more ridiculous road trips. He puts up numbers in all relevant categories and even irrelevant ones, like technical fouls.
He also has some rather impressive salary numbers. How many guys will be able to sit back and tell their grandchildren that his contract forced the NBA to impose a lockout, meaning the league would miss games for the first time due to labor differences? That would be KG. Of more immediate concern is his future with the team. His lockout-inducing deal expires at the end of next season; he'll be paid a staggering $28 million in 2003-04. There have been talks about an extension, but Garnett would have to settle for a lot less in his next deal. You can't envision the Wolves committing financial suicide by actually raising the deal.
There has also been talk about trading Garnett because, well, look at how much he's done and what have the Timberwolves gotten for it? Garnett has never played anywhere else. He has seen teammates come and go -- can you imagine if the Wolves had somehow been able to keep Stephon Marbury content and Tom Gugliotta healthy?
But history tells us that trading great players usually doesn't work. The Bucks traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles for a bunch of players back in 1975 -- and they've yet to get back to the NBA Finals. Kareem got them there in 1971, when they won it all. He then went on and won five more titles with the Lakers. It took the Sixers almost a decade to recover from the Charles Barkley trade to Phoenix. The Sixers traded Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers in 1968, one year after the team won the NBA title. It would be 15 years before Philly won another. The Lakers won one in 1973.
In other words, it's usually a better idea to keep your assets. Garnett could have asked for a deal by now. He could have complained -- legitimately -- that he's in a hopeless situation. He didn't. He instead raised his game, took his team with him and is playing as well-rounded and dominating a game as anyone in the league. He has done it with a makeshift lineup at times. He has done it, period. Unless the Timberwolves go into the tank over the final 20 games, he has to be given serious, serious consideration as the league's Most Valuable Player. He has earned it.
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By Peter May
Special to ESPN.com
I had to stifle a chuckle recently when the Kobe Slobbering went into overdrive. Yes, what he did with his scoring -- and what he continues to do -- is remarkable. Yes, his outbursts got the Lakers all the way into, um, seventh place.
In other words, what Kobe Bryant did over a period of two to three weeks, a guy in Minnesota has been doing for six years. And Kevin Garnett has nothing close to someone like Shaquille O'Neal on his team. No one does.
Kevin Garnett ranks in the top 16 in five offensive categories, including field-goal percentage.
It's easy to overlook the routine, night-in, night-out greatness of Garnett because he's numbingly consistent, his team has never made it out of the first round of the playoffs and he plays in Minnesota. (The weather report in the Twin Cities noted that it would remain "cool." The temperature: three degrees below zero.) He has been criticized for being too unselfish, for not asserting himself in the fourth quarter and for being good enough but not great enough to carry his team to a seven-game series.
Maybe this year will be different. Maybe it won't. (At the very least, the Timberwolves will play in a best-of-seven for the first time, since the NBA is implementing them for the first round and saying goodbye to best-of-five.) Since Jan. 1, the Timberwolves have the second-best record in the league behind San Antonio. (The top five teams since Jan. 1 are in the Western Conference. There's a shocker.) As it stands now, the Timberwolves own the fifth-best record in the West, which would match Minny's best seeding ever as well as making it yet another series without home-court advantage.
Minnesota's record is good enough to be the No. 1 seed in the East, which is a story for another day. The team was 12-1 in the month of February, and Garnett -- not Kobe -- was named the Western Conference's Player of the Month. This came on the heels of Garnett being named the Most Valuable Player in the last All-Star Game with Michael Jordan and the last one without LeBron James.
It's not always a wise idea to promote MVPs with five weeks left in the regular season, but Garnett is making a most convincing case. And what in his history indicates that there will be any significant dropoff between now and April 16? We all know that Shaq is the putative MVP, but his team has struggled this season and so has he. Tim Duncan, the reigning award winner, is always a worthy choice. Jason Kidd should have won it last year and he is continuing to make New Jersey successful and relevant, always a daunting task.
Garnett is averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists. And his numbers in those categories prior to this season were pretty impressive. It's no secret that future NBA center and high draft choice Darko Milicic didn't hesitate when asked about his favorite NBA player: Garnett. Why? Because Garnett is versatile, energetic and a team leader.
He has got to be on everyone's short-short list for MVP. What hasn't he done? The Wolves, in the midst of a brutal schedule stretch (eight straight games against Western Conference playoff teams) are on the same pace as last year's 50-win season. They have the best home record in the conference (27-5.) They have managed to win without having Terrell Brandon for a single possession and with Wally Szczerbiak (30 games) and Joe Smith (25) missing significant stretches. While that is also an undeniable tribute to coach Flip Saunders and his staff, it's also a reflection of the burden and weight that falls on Garnett on a daily basis.
You won't see Garnett hors de combat. The guy just doesn't miss games. He has played in every game this season while logging more than 40 minutes a game. He missed one game last year -- for personal reasons. He missed one the year before -- a meaningless regular-season finale. He generally comes to play in the postseason as well. He averaged 24 points, 18.7 rebounds and five assists last year against Dallas; it wasn't enough as the Wolves were swept in three games.
No one has done more for his team. The Wolves are winning in a ridiculously difficult conference -- and no team has more ridiculous road trips. He puts up numbers in all relevant categories and even irrelevant ones, like technical fouls.
That will continue to be Garnett's millstone, which is both unfair and unfortunate. Until the Timberwolves do something in the playoffs, Garnett will have to accept being saluted and honored for what he does from November to April. But that is the time frame for MVPs, as well as Rookies of the Year and Coaches of the Year. Garnett is always among the top five or six MVP candidates. This year, he should be at the top. No one has done more for his team. The Wolves are winning in a ridiculously difficult conference -- and no team has more ridiculous road trips. He puts up numbers in all relevant categories and even irrelevant ones, like technical fouls.
He also has some rather impressive salary numbers. How many guys will be able to sit back and tell their grandchildren that his contract forced the NBA to impose a lockout, meaning the league would miss games for the first time due to labor differences? That would be KG. Of more immediate concern is his future with the team. His lockout-inducing deal expires at the end of next season; he'll be paid a staggering $28 million in 2003-04. There have been talks about an extension, but Garnett would have to settle for a lot less in his next deal. You can't envision the Wolves committing financial suicide by actually raising the deal.
There has also been talk about trading Garnett because, well, look at how much he's done and what have the Timberwolves gotten for it? Garnett has never played anywhere else. He has seen teammates come and go -- can you imagine if the Wolves had somehow been able to keep Stephon Marbury content and Tom Gugliotta healthy?
But history tells us that trading great players usually doesn't work. The Bucks traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Los Angeles for a bunch of players back in 1975 -- and they've yet to get back to the NBA Finals. Kareem got them there in 1971, when they won it all. He then went on and won five more titles with the Lakers. It took the Sixers almost a decade to recover from the Charles Barkley trade to Phoenix. The Sixers traded Wilt Chamberlain to the Lakers in 1968, one year after the team won the NBA title. It would be 15 years before Philly won another. The Lakers won one in 1973.
In other words, it's usually a better idea to keep your assets. Garnett could have asked for a deal by now. He could have complained -- legitimately -- that he's in a hopeless situation. He didn't. He instead raised his game, took his team with him and is playing as well-rounded and dominating a game as anyone in the league. He has done it with a makeshift lineup at times. He has done it, period. Unless the Timberwolves go into the tank over the final 20 games, he has to be given serious, serious consideration as the league's Most Valuable Player. He has earned it.
JIC you still think I'm stuck on Kobe, I'm going to shock you: I agree with the article. If the Wolves go into a tailspin and/or the Lakers pull past them on the strength of Kobe's play, then things might look different, but for now you've got to hand it to him. I also think that any doubt goes to KG, since if he wasn't around, no one would even bother digging the Wolves out of the snow. It's also a credit to him, that he's continued to raise his game with an organization that's had so many problems.
Friday night - Lakers vs. Wolves - should be a fun showcase. Hope both guys come to play.