Consider the following:
-
KG averaged under 20 PPG career
-
KG never averaged 25 PPG for a season
-
KG’s career FG% is under .500, and his 2PT% is only .504. He is 234th all-time in career 2PT% and has none of the 250 best seasons of 2PT%
-
KG’s TS% was only .546, and he never shot 59% TS%.He does NOT rank in the Top 250 in career T5%, nor does he have any of the 250 best seasons by TS
-
KG wasn’t a great spacer. His career 3 PT% was under 30%, he averaged far less than one 3PM a game, and never made more than 50 3s in a season
-
KG wasn’t elite at finishing from close. Many other 4s and 5s converted a higher percentage of close shots than he, and on higher volume as well
-
KG wasn’t a creator. Over two-thirds of his field goals came off of assists.
I could go on, but I think those seven points establish why KG is NOT an elite scorer or shooter. Compared to other forwards, KG is far outstripped on scoring not only by fellas like KG, LeBron and Kawhi, but even by somebody like AD, who a) had higher volume in his prime, b) does better from the inside, and c) does better from the outside.
You must log in or register to comment.
In his MVP season (where he didn’t cross 25 ppg), he was tied for second in the league in scoring, and had an eFG% that was better than Dirk, and the same as Duncan
That’s probably his biggest weakness. Rarely a double team threat.
A Bill Russell-ish type. Unbelievable motor, especially in high competitive situations. Epic games against top-tier opponents.
Nobody ever mentions him as an elite scorer, he was great one, but his main strenght on offense was his passing and his ability to fit with anybody because of his shot (yes back then a mid range shooter = spacing)
He basically never got to play spread PNR as a scorer because he always played with a center when he was still in his athletic prime, maybe in the current era he’d look better playing more center and being the main roll man
I think he’s just someone fans think could have done more had he wanted to maybe. Offensively.
-
Adjust this to today’s pace.
-
isn’t even a thing. 3 point spacing wasn’t a thing bigs needed to do in the 2000s. his long midrange was “spacing”.
-
This is fine if you mention how good KG was at creating for others as a big. 6 seasons with 5+ assists was elite for a big back then, in again, one of the slowest eras of ball.
Adjust KG’s minutes to today’s levels tho.
Adjust KG playing in the ISO heavy era to today’s more team oriented era.
People simplify it too much. Guys back then played huge minutes and got to ISO like crazy. Nowadays you see MVPs like Giannis play 30 minutes a game. Some dudes (Luka, Trae, etc) control the offense at insane levels, but the average star is part of a very team oriented offense.
You realize these things make it easier, right?
Possessions is what matters. If KG played 40 minutes a night in the 00s but only played about 90 possessions, that’s not different than him playing 30 minutes a night today and playing 90 possessions. The 30 minutes will be better though because he’ll be more rested throughout the game
-
KG’s prime on the Wolves totally overlapped the dead scoring era of 95 points a game.
His 24 points a game season was a league average of 93. Last season the league average was 115. That 24 points would literally be the equivalent of 30 last year.
Dude was an elite scorer. If you’re going to bash a guy you really need to get your ducks in a row and better understand the context of the era.
No OP, you’re intentionally underrating KG by comparing him to the current era vs. the one he actually played in, apples to oranges and all that
Tell me you weren’t around to watch games back then without telling me your age
You really can’t compare KG to any of the people you mentioned. It would have to be Duncan, Webber and Dirk. And we know that Dirk is the best shooter out of those 3.
Also, I don’t think anyone ever said that KG was an elite scorer, so no idea where this is coming g from. He was however, and absolute amazing all around player who spent his prime averaging 20/10/5 as a defensive anchor.
A major knock on him in the Minnesota media during his prime was that he was not doing the sort of AI/Kobe “put the team on my back and take all the shots” sort of player.
Overall sounds like you just want to take KG down a peg for some bizarre reason, when there’s no need to do so.
I think he’d have a solid 3 if he played today. Dude was cash with that top of the key long range mid jumper. Watch the video and team USA practice where he just tortures every single person on like full court ones.
I hate that I’m now old enough to know takes like this are only around because people didn’t see KG play.
Maybe, but he’s one of the best all around players I’ve ever seen.
-
PPG isn’t a good indicator of how good someone was at scoring when that player had close to a 20 year career. KG also went from being the sole star player who had the offense run through him, to joining a big 3 and sacrificing his numbers while still in his prime.
-
KG played in the slowest era ever. He didn’t have a PG that could run an offense for a couple years on the Timberwolves so he had to score and play point guard on offense for the Timberwolves for a couple seasons as a 7 footer.
-
This point is your best argument and it’s a trash argument. He wasn’t an efficient monster but he was average TS% wise for the majority of his career. Not bad when he was known mostly for his defense.
-
Read point 3
-
Spacing isn’t only when someone shoots 3’s. KG was an elite long 2 shooter. He ojos regularly shoot the ball a foot or two inside the 3 point line because he played in an era where bigs didn’t shoot 3’s all that often. Teams respected his shot and that allowed his teams to have spacing.
-
KG wasn’t an efficient monster. Great job having one argument on your side for why he is an overrated offensive player.
-
I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this but here I go again, KG was arguably the best passing big man of his generation. He had great handles for a 7 footer and would run his teams offense regularly. In his mid 20’s. He was their literal PG on offense for most of the seasons. You’re once again using career numbers for someone that played over 20 years in the NBA. Go use his prime numbers, I’m sure they’ll be a better I dictator of who he was in his prime.
I can make one definite conclusion about you after reading your post. You didn’t watch KG play or you watched him at the tail end of his career. KG won MVP averaging 24.2/13.9/5/1.5/2.2(PPG/RPG/APG/STL/BLK) on .449/.256/.791 splits and .547 TS%. Not bad for someone who played in the slowest era ever.
-