NBA Hoops

Is Towns better than Garnett at the same age?

Is Towns better than Garnett at the same age?

Kevin Garnett is the best player, so far, to ever wear a Minnesota Timberwolves jersey. Minnesota drafted him fifth overall in 1995, the first player in 20 years to come straight out of high school. Despite his young age, Garnett quickly became Minnesota’s star player. He remained their lone All-Star, but he never brought them a championship, though, and was eventually traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007.

After that, the Minnesota Timberwolves struggled to find their new star until they drafted Karl-Anthony Towns with the first overall pick in 2015. Towns is Minnesota’s new franchise player, embodying all their championship aspirations, but is he better than Garnett was at the same age? The two big men have rather similar styles of play, despite entering the game in different eras.

Garnett was known as a great defender but also as a dangerous finisher who opponents did not want close to the basket. Likewise, Towns made himself known as a menace in the paint while also being a great shooter behind the three-point line. Both do not fit the center stereotype that ruled the league for so long.

Garnett was actually one of the first bigs to successfully and regularly take on a playmaking role and push the ball up and down the court. By doing that, he stepped out of the realm of traditional big man play and paved the way for non-traditional centers like Towns nowadays.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Comparing Resumes

Towns is currently 26 years old and on his rise through the NBA ranks. He started his ascent early on by winning Rookie of the Year and being named to the All-Rookie First Team. Since then, he has been an All-Star three times and made the All-NBA Third Team twice. At the same age, Garnett had a similarly stacked resume.

He did not have quite as good of a rookie season as Towns and “only” made the All-Rookie Second Team, but in his second season, he was already an All-Star. In the same season, he led the Timberwolves to the franchise’s first playoff appearance. By the time he was 26, Garnett had been an All-Star every year since his sophomore season, except for 1999 due to the lockout. He was also named to four All-NBA teams and received All-Defensive First Team honors three times in that time span.

In 2000, at only 24, Garnett added an Olympic Gold Medal to his already impressive resume. Two years later, he led the league in defensive rebounding and led the Timberwolves in all five major statistics. After the age of 26, Garnett went on to make many…

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