Kevin Garnett vs Steve Nash

[dygaction]

KG is closer to Nash on offense than Nash is to KG on defense.

This is grade school logic. We have to stop this.

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What did Nash provide on d?

By making his Suns #2 on O but still average #16 on D with a +5.7 NRtg while winning lots of games even after losing two starters from last year's league best offense.
What did KG do with #28 O and #9 D? Was the 7 place (average to above average) difference in D a result of Nash's poor D or KG's elite D or their differential?

Nash's 05 team reached WCF and reached WCF again in 06 even after all-nba Amare out for the season and Joe Johnson left. KG's 04 team reached WCF and missed playoffs in 05-07 three years in a row because Sam Cassell not healthy. Was it KG or Cassell's team?

[JRoy]

This is grade school logic. We have to stop this.

Sent from my SM-G960W using RealGM mobile app

What did Nash provide on d?

By making his Suns #2 on O but still average #16 on D with a +5.7 NRtg while winning lots of games even after losing two starters from last year's league best offense.
What did KG do with #28 O and #9 D? Was the 7 place (average to above average) difference in D a result of Nash's poor D or KG's elite D or their differential?

Nash's 05 team reached WCF and reached WCF again in 06 even after all-nba Amare out for the season and Joe Johnson left. KG's 04 team reached WCF and missed playoffs in 05-07 three years in a row because Sam Cassell not healthy. Was it KG or Cassell's team?

Nash made his team average on D?

[AbeVigodaLive]

This is only a discussion that can happen nearly two decades later using a bunch of random statistics in a vacuum.

There's no way this conversation was happening in 2006.

Nor should it have. Basketball is something that can transcend boxscores.

[Jaivl]

I mean, it's all good and fine, Nash did a majestic job and KG probably could do more on offense in 2006 (I don't know, but it's plausible).

But do you realize that, even disregarding Amar'e, the Suns has AT LEAST three players (and that's being extremely generous, I would argue for at least six, Ricky Davis was an absolutely terrible player) that would be the second best player in Minnesota by a mile post-Wally trade, right?

There's different levels of **bad**, and the 2006 and 2007 Wolves are as bad as it gets. Some of the worst supporting casts ever. Going by the numbers, even hallmark examples of weak casts around a superstar, like the 06 Lakers, are way better than... that.

Minny was 19-21 prior to the Davis trade, which, although still not stellar, seems way more reasonable.

[70sFan]

Suns without Nash: -0.7 Net Rating
Wolves without Garnett: -10.5 Net Rating

Conclusion: it's clear that Phoenix did better because Nash was better than Garnett.

Just to be clear - I would take Nash for this year, but the level of argumentation here is an all-time low for this board.

[dygaction]

I mean, it's all good and fine, Nash did a majestic job and KG probably could do more on offense in 2006 (I don't know, but it's plausible).

But do you realize that, even disregarding Amar'e, the Suns has AT LEAST three players (and that's being extremely generous, I would argue for at least six, Ricky Davis was an absolutely terrible player) that would be the second best player in Minnesota by a mile post-Wally trade, right?

There's different levels of **bad**, and the 2006 and 2007 Wolves are as bad as it gets. Some of the worst supporting casts ever. Going by the numbers, even hallmark examples of weak casts around a superstar, like the 06 Lakers, are way better than... that.

Minny was 19-21 prior to the Davis trade, which, although still not stellar, seems way more reasonable.

Don't agree here. I don't think KG could have done more as he is not the type of players to conserve energy on either end. The unfortunate part is that his offensive output is not superstar level and he does not have another gear in the playoffs. If you force him to shoot more, he would hurt his own team and the other team's 3pt line after each fade away long jumper...

Three things to consider when one wants to argue his offense: 1. KG reached 25ppg in the playoffs only once during a first round exit (Barkley 6x; Malone 12x; Dirk 9x); 2. During that playoff run, there were two other players averaged more in the same series; 3. His career high was 35 points in the playoffs, and in that game, he was not the highest score on his own team. Troy Hudson scored 37.