Kevin Garnett vs. Tim Duncan: Duncan's fundamental play is second to none, but the broad game of "The Kid" makes this a battle - One-on-One - basketball players

Basketball Digest, March, 2002 by Reggie Theus

TIM DUNCAN HAS THE BEST FUNDAMENTALS of any player in the league, and not just among big men. Fundamentals used to be basketball's bible, but today, it's rare to hear a player described as fundamentally sound.

Duncan is not afraid to use the glass, which tells you that he's a thinker. Bank shots are old school, sure, but all the better shooters are old school.

As much as I love Duncan, if I was playing a pickup game I'm not sure I'd choose him over Kevin Garnett. KG is a phenomenon who's revolutionized his position as a point forward, like Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen before him--only Bird and Pippen aren't seven feet tall. Garnett can play four positions and is able to do pretty much everything on the floor.

It's funny to compare two guys who have played mostly as 4s when neither are true power forwards. Duncan plays as a co-center on the San Antonio Spurs with David Robinson. Garnett, who so fears being edged into the paint as a center that he refers to his 7'0" height as "6'12"," is a true 3 who slid out of the blocks when the Minnesota Timber wolves re-signed Joe Smith.

Garnett hasn't had much help out on the floor. There's a big difference between how he carries a team and being a guy like TD who plays alongside a future Hall-of-Famer. In other words, there's a difference in having Robinson and Rasho Nesterovic covering your back.

But we're not comparing teams, we're pitting skill vs. skill. And Duncan, the consummate throwback, vs. KG, a 21st Century hybrid, is a fascinating matchup.

SCORING (GARNETT 15, DUNCAN 15)

Duncan has touch. It's difficult to kiss the ball off the glass if don't have a fairly soft shot. Dunc is one of the few players in the NBA with a significant go-to move; his inside pivot into the rocker step position off the glass is deadly from 12 to 15 feet. When I see Duncan miss his rocker step off the glass, I know he's having a bad night, but that shot is more or less money whenever the Spurs need it.

People forget that scoring is foremost a thinking game. You have to constantly be thinking in order to change up your game. Using the glass lets you shoot at angles that are easier to score from, keeping a defense off-key. Simply put, Duncan is a scorer's scorer because he makes baskets in many different ways: posting up, shooting jumpers, and taking it to the hole.

Garnett does it all on the offensive end: running the floor, posting up, and shooting with range. And KG is one of the rare players who boasts a solid midrange game. But compared with Duncan, Garnett's jump shot is a little suspect.

Garnett's reluctance to be "just" a big man allows him to play a wide game. But it's also a weakness; if he paid more attention to his game in the paint, he'd be truly unstoppable. He won't be until post play becomes a bigger priority for him.

FIELD-GOAL SHOOTING (DUNCAN 10, GARNETT 8)

Duncan is a more efficient shooter (a career .509 vs. KG's .485) because he doesn't play as far out on the floor. Dunc's game runs from the free-throw line in, while Garnett spreads all over the place.

The Kid doesn't want to hemmed into the post, where his shooting percentage would improve. As a small forward, Garner is an average shooter.

FREE-THROW SHOOTING (GARNETT 5, DUNCAN 3)

Some of the strangest stats you'll ever see are Duncan's flee-throw shooting numbers. His 61.8% from the line last season was more than 50 percentage points worse than his previous low, 66.2%, in his rookie season. This season, Dunc's shot up to a career best, threatening the 8096 threshold. How in the world do you have a season-long slump like that? That's like saying I'm having an off-year making layups. If you're a good free-throw shooter, you're a good free throw shooter. You just don't lose your concentration like that. I've got to dock Duncan an extra point just for confusing me.

Garnett is really solid from the line, and it appears that this season will be his first in cracking the 8096 barrier. Throws are such an important part of the game; big men are going to have the ball down the stretch, and they have to be able to hit their free throws.

DEFENCE (GARNETT 20, DUNCAN 18)

Duncan's defensive fundamentals are good, but the second TD stepped on the court, Robinson settled into a role as a defensive stopper. So while Duncan has a lot of solid defensive tools, he's always had the Admiral to fail back on.

Garner is the lone defensive ace for Minnesota, and it's a beautiful thing to watch a guy who's so athletically inclined defensively attack the ball. KG is always among the league leaders in hustle points, throwing his body out there, attacking the boards, and jumping over guys for blocks.

You don't often see Duncan overextend himself, while Garnett is all over the floor. Garnett is so athletic, he can go down and play 2-guard, and even if he gets burned a couple times, he'll D back up and ask for more. Duncan doesn't step past the 15-foot mark defensively. And I love seeing a a guy like Garnett get so emotional playing top-flight defense.

SHOT-BLOCKING (DUNCAN 5, GARNETT 5)