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Timberwolves Milestone Watch

By Randy Spurlock

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Mar 7, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) raises his arms to get the crowd pumped up in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 121-113. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Garnett

Milestones to watch: Points, Rebounds, Blocks, Games Played

We end with one of the greatest players of all-time.

The Big Ticket. KG. Da Kid. He revolutionized the power forward position and completely changed the way fans and executives alike viewed big men. He has a lengthy list of accomplishments, but let’s try to put a few of them into perspective.

First, he is at 15th place all-time in points scored with 25,949. He’ll easily pass the 26,000 mark in the first few weeks of the season, and could possibly even approach 27,000 late in the season. He’s also just 25 total points behind Tim Duncan right now. Duncan will probably add to that lead as he’s still a focal point of San Antonio’s offense, but it will be something fun to keep tabs of as the season rolls along.

Secondly, KG is placed ninth in career rebounds with 14,512. If he makes it to 15,000 rebounds this season, he would move past Robert Parish and Karl Malone in the all-time ranks. This is also another area where Garnett and Duncan are close, as Duncan has 132 more rebounds than Garnett. KG probably won’t be able to close the gap unless Duncan gets hurt and has to sit out 20 or so games, but it will be another fun stat to watch this season.

In blocks, Garnett is in a lowly (for him) 17th place with 2,027. He likely won’t make it to 2,100, but he could conceivably move up two spots and pass George Johnson and Manute Bol for 15th place.

KG is also tied for 5th place in games played; with one more, he passes Kevin Willis for sole possession of 5th. If Garnett plays in 53 games this season, he would continue moving up the ranks, passing Karl Malone for 4th place all-time. I would project Garnett to appear in around 55 games this year, so that is very doable.

Garnett is one of the most decorated players in history. Looking at the major categories, no player has matched Garnett’s total in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.

KG is the only player in history with totals of at least 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 5,000 assists, 1,500 blocks, and 1,500 steals. Furthermore, he far surpasses those numbers in most of the categories, with career totals of 25,949 points, 14,512 boards, 5,383 assists, 2,027 blocks, and 1,831 steals.

There simply has never been a player like Kevin Garnett. He does not have an equal in the stats he’s racked up over the years. It is due to his talent, of course, but players don’t accrue those kinds of stats without hard work, longevity, and some luck. Garnett has an insane work ethic, has played in a record-tying number of seasons, and has gotten some luck with injuries (nothing major or chronic before his knee in ‘08-09).

The same can be said for Prince and Miller. They both are hard workers and they’ve enjoyed long careers because of it. Prince got lucky when he was drafted into a perfect situation for him on the Pistons. Miller never had quite the same luck with his teammates, but he’s also had luck in avoiding any serious injury.

For the young players on the Wolves that want to someday be considered all-time greats, they need look no further than the three eldest players on the roster. They are perfect models of what a combination of talent, hard work, and longevity can bring. If players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins want to hit the milestones that these players are achieving, they would do well to follow their examples.

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