Rant
So I watched the Spurs/Mavs game four last night. And man, what a game - both teams were just making killer plays - Jason Terry, Gino-billy, Finley, l'il Devin Harris. However, one guy basically sucked down the stretch - The Diggler. Yeah, he managed to get to the line a bit, but he was short-arming jumpers, passing up open looks, etc. All of which is what it is - good players sometimes don't play well in big moments. Look at Tim Duncan's game six of the Finals last year - if Big Shot Rob doesn't come through with some huge plays, we'd all be talking about how much Tim sucked in the crunch.
Which brings me to my rant. I am sick of the fact that KG is never going to get the respect as one of the greatest players of his generation because of the fact that he's never had playoff success. Have there been a few times he hasn't stepped up in the playoffs? Yes. The difference is, with the exception of 2004, he's never had other guys around him capable of picking him up. Jason Terry was huge last night; Horry was huge for Duncan last year. But somehow having good teammates makes Duncan & Dirk better than KG, which I just will never understand.
Sorry, my bitterness about what has happened with the Wolves over the past 24 months is clearly warping my ability to watch the playoffs...
/rant
posted by Jason N at
11:18 AM
6 Comments:
I still think KG is considered one of the best in the game. Anyone who thinks otherwise is crazy. The difference to me is that the gap between him and others top players is narrowing. 2 years ago it was KG and Duncan above all others -- noboody else was close. Dirk has really improved his game and reached a new level. Lebron and Wade are awesome and that they are just figuring the league out is scary. Whatever you think of him, Kobe had a remarkable year. It is not because KG is losing a step or because of the Wolves' lack of success in the playoffs, but because I think the talent in the league right now is about as intriguing as it has been in a long time.
Some columnists may suggest that you can't truly be great unless you go far in the playoffs, but I don't buy it. Sam Smith here in Chicago is a prime example. He is among the worst. But, he does it to drum up rumors (credible or not) about any good player whose team happens to be playing in Chicago on that given day. I can't bear to pick up the Tribune simply because of him.
When all is said and done, history will view KG as one of the best 4s ever to the play the game even if he never makes it past the first round again. We'll look back and talk about how dominating and tough the West was back in the day when his wolves had their best squads just like we mention MJ when we say that Patrick, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and John Stockton never won the big one. We all know they were all great. Circumstances conspired against them.
By
Knick33, at 11:05 PM
And since you're talking prophetically about role players picking up the stars in the playoffs we've now got to mention Raja Bell... holy cow (Not that I was awake to see it or anything).
By
Knick33, at 10:03 AM
Knick's point about KG getting swallowed up by the fates is what you are feeling. Bad things will continue to happen to good players.
The deck's been stacked against him, and there's plenty of blame to go around. It's the nature of the landscape. If some idiots don't know it, that's their problem. Has any other expansion team from that era done any better? The Shaq Magic made the finals in 1995, and they got lucky.
Hope springs eternal with KG. He still brings it every night (unless he's benched for a draft pick)
He's always been an asset that makes other players better. That didn't seem to happen as much after the Boston trade. It's a longshot, but my hope is for things that slipped to start to click. There's no one I'd rather have to make that happen than KG.
KG is the one that gave this team an identity, and will make me watch this team long after he's gone. His legacy in Minny will always be known.
By
TVDave, at 10:28 AM
You know, there's blame to go around for the Wolves. Yeah, McHale has made some bad moves, but I really think that losing those draft picks is what ultimately has hamstrung the team. If you look at teams like Dallas, even with a late first round pick, they added Josh Howard who is a major contributor for them. All Minnesota added through the years in the draft was Ebi, and they also didn't have the picks to trade for less dicey pickups than they made.
As for KG, David is right, except each of the players he referenced are diminished by the fact that they never won a title. It's not to say that they weren't all-time greats, but they would have been considered greater had they won.
By
Ironwood Flash, at 10:20 PM
Well, the fact that KG didn't make any of the all-nba teams this year proves my point. No, he wasn't MVP level, but you can't tell me he isn't miles better than Carmelo Freakin' Anthony.
By
Jason N, at 10:34 AM
Word to that.
By
Ironwood Flash, at 2:00 PM
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