Champion, MVP, 15-time All-Star, Defensive Player of the Year, Four-time All-NBA First Teamer... These things might come to mind first when people reminisce about the career of the great Kevin Garnett, but his impact on the game goes far beyond these accolades. From his style of play to how he came into the league, the Big Ticket has had an incredibly significant influence on the game of basketball that we watch today.
June 28, 1995. It was on this night that the Timberwolves drafted Kevin Garnett with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft, making him the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school since 1975. His declaration for the draft and subsequent success set the precedent for a wave of NBA players who ended up doing the same. Future Hall of Famers, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, both came straight to the league from high school and if KG hadn't done it before them, who knows how their career paths would have looked otherwise. Could you even imagine Kobe or Lebron wearing college jerseys and competing in March Madness?
A true one of a kind player, Garnett's play on the court set the template for the modern big man in the NBA. At nearly seven-feet tall, Garnett had the speed and agility to guard all five positions. Already an elite athlete, Garnett was able to dominate with one of the deadliest jumpers the league has seen on a big man. His range extended out past 20 feet from the basket where he could either hit the shot if left open, or drive right into the teeth of the defense. In the off chance he couldn't create a shot for himself, Garnett was also an excellent distributor. His physical abilities were bolstered even further by the passion and fire with which he played the game.
Garnett very well could have played in the wrong era. The NBA game has shifted towards versatile big men who can switch on screens, spread the floor and facilitate. For all the success Garnett had as a power forward, the Timberwolves never provided him with a frontcourt partner that could maximize his abilities. KG's game might have been best suited if he was paired with a versatile big man that allowed him to play center. Garnett's range and athleticism would have made him completely unguardable at the center spot, going up against bigger, slower players like Shaq. Even in his Celtics days, Garnett played alongside defensive-minded, offensively-limited bigs like Kendrick Perkins.
We'll never know how good Garnett could have been playing in a progressive, modern system. Regardless, Garnett will be giving a speech in Springfield sooner than later. If his career left us with nothing else, KG let us know one thing: anything is possible.
