HoopsHype recently released a list of the 79 greatest NBA players of all time. Minnesota Timberwolves franchise great Kevin Garnett came in at 17. While that’s a fair ranking by all means, HoopsHype surprisingly ranked Karl Malone above Garnett at 15. Let’s dive into why ranking Malone over Garnett is illogical.
Garnett has a more complete career than Malone
Malone, the NBA’s third all-time leading scorer, of course, had a great on-court career. Nevertheless, Garnett’s championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008 gives him a clear edge. Moreover, Garnett has a Defensive Player of the Year award and 12 All-Defensive selections to Malone’s four All-Defensive selections. Garnett was an all-time great defender with unmatched versatility and offered elite offense. While Malone was a better scorer as an all-around player, there’s no denying that Garnett was better than Malone.
It’s understandable that Malone never won a ring since he played in the Michael Jordan era. However, Malone benefited from playing next to John Stockton, while Garnett carried underwhelming supporting casts with the Wolves to impressive heights. Of course, Garnett won his championship with a loaded Celtics core. Nevertheless, how Garnett elevated teams by himself in his Minnesota years can’t be ignored in this debate.
The main argument for Malone would be his longevity, as he was playing at a high level into his late 30s. Still, Garnett had impressive longevity playing for 21 seasons and making the All-Star team at 36. Overall, Garnett’s peak as both the best player on a championship team and a superstar who elevated a poor supporting cast simply outweighed Malone’s peak.
While Malone has two MVPs, it’s widely regarded that he shouldn’t have won either. As a result, even though Garnett has one less MVP, it shouldn’t be counted against him. Ultimately, as a complete player and career, Garnett gets the nod over Malone.
Malone at 15 is too high
HoopsHype also ranked Dirk Nowitzki (19), Charles Barkley (26), Nikola Jokić (23), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (22) all below Malone. Similar arguments made for KG over Malone can be made for Dirk. As elite players who never won rings, Barkley and Malone have similar careers, so it’s tough to argue they should be separated by more than 10 spots.
Jokić and Giannis both have won a championship and are multiple-time MVPs. Furthermore, Jokić is the best player of the 2020s, and Giannis is right there behind him. Ultimately, while player rankings are never perfect, it’s tough to argue that Malone is a top 15 player, especially with the players below him, including Garnett.