Are you serious? KG banging in the paint? When did you ever see Garnett banging with anybody in the paint? Other PF's banging him, but not the other way around. He's a great player and I am not trying to diminish that, but the one thing that you are proposing (banging in the paint) is the one thing that he's criticized about. They say he doesn't post up and back his man down, instead he chooses to shoot jumpers or hooks. KG is a finesse PF.
Im sorry but this question shouldn't even be asked. Who would be stupid enough to trade younger for older, the best player in the nba for a regular all-star; no dosen't make sense..
I think people are focusing way too much on Garnett's impact offensively and not nearly enough about his impact defensively. Hypothetically, if Garnett were on this team, I don't think the Rockets would be relying on his scoring nearly as much as Minnesota relies on his scoring. He would kind of be the second fiddle on offense (kind of like Robinson when Duncan joined). I would expect his scoring average would drop to about 18 points a game. The biggest impact he would have on this team is his defense. The guy is capable of being an absolute beast on defense, especially if he were not asked to do as much on offense as he is now. I think his rebounds would go up to +15 rebounds a game, blocks up to 2-3 a game, steals to 2 a game, and he would guard the opposing teams best player every game. Think if Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace were combined into one player. On the offensive end, I think Yao could pick up the slack for the loss of Mcgrady. If he had a big man like Garnett that can do ALL of the dirty work, that would free him up to do so much more on offense. Plus, I think not having that lead scoring guard would force him to be more assertive on offense. My guess is his production would be around 23-25 points a game, 4 assists a game, and about 6 rebounds a game (since Garnett would be gobbling up the rebounds). Add in a couple of good offensive guards like Cuttino Mobley and Damon Stoudamire, and our offense would be fine.
His low post offensive game I agree with you is based on finese, quickness and length, but your point ends there. You don't lead the league in rebounding two years in a row being "soft" or all finese. The guy is a beast defensively, and on the boards. In the end I think the benefits in terms of defense and physicality in a needed position to bookend Yao (KG has a much more physical presence than Tmac or JH--one has to admit) more than compensates for the fact Tmac is the superior offensive player. And though Tmac is the superior offensive player, especially in cruch time, KG bested him a lot in FG%, bested him in FT% and equaled him in assists, I don't the the net offensive impact would be too bad, and maybe even positive, so long as we got decent wing players like Cat or Simmons to knock down shots. But this in one persons opinion on a trade with a 1% chance of happening.
I am a huge Yao fan, but why is everybody proposing trades for players that cover Yao's weaknesses? If you are pointing out all these weaknesses that Yao has, then maybe he's not the player you are making him out to be. Look at the facts. Bottomline is, both Yao and KG have to operate in the post to be effective. Didn't Juwan adjust his role because there weren't enough possessions in the post for both him and Yao? How will Garnett and Yao be utilized in order to maximize their skills when they do the same thing offensively? Defenses would just collapse and clog up the lane. How is the offense effect ive when your two best players are taking away from one another. Yao's frontcourt mate can't take shots away from him. You need a strong frontcourt and a strong backcourt. Only solidifying the frontcourt would mean nothing. How would you stretch the opposing defense? We would be like San Antonio without Parker/Ginobili or Detroit without Billups/Hamilton. Garnett makes as much money as T-Mac and Ginobili combined. Even if the basketball x's and o's were achievable with Yao/Garnett how could you do anything with your backcourt when all the money is tied in the frontcourt? Ever heard of an inside/outside presence? Magic/Kareem, Chamberlain/West, Bird/Parish, Shaq/Kobe, Russell/Jones Name one successful frontcourt duo in NBA history that did the same thing offensively i.e. they were finesse players, in their prime and they were go to guys in the post?
What we are talking about is people that enhance each other their strengths. Yao has some tremendous strengths--some among the best in the league (look at his FG%), and some areas not of strength compared to other well rounded players. Having a great rebounder, defender, passer and shooter inside of 20 feet at the 4 spot would magnify the strengths Yao has, and probably KG too. As discussed before, Hakeem-OT and TD-DR and their teams essentially fit this model. Their teams (champions) were front court loaded (4 and 5 spot in particular), with average starting caliber, but smart role playing, guards. Those are 2 of the rings in the last 10 years with different teams, not a bad formula. As for their role, both Yao and KG are good shooters inside 20 feet, it is not like they have to be parked inside the lane to be effective. KG particularly (deadly with the open 15-20 footer) may be better facing up and moving around more, he has never played with an option like Yao to try to play off with. You bring up the issue of money. KG makes 16 mil, Tmac makes 14.5 mil (that is like 6+ mil less than Tmac and Manu BTW), not a big difference. However which is easier to acquire for MLE type money, a good defending four who can knock down the open jump shot and rebound (to compliment Tmac and Yao), or a solid all around swingman who can play defense and knock down the open 3 (to compliment KG and Yao)? History does not favoring getting that PF easily or cheaply, how many years have we tried to get a decent 4 that fit this mold (a defender and rebounder who can't be completed cheated off of offensively) and failed, yet when we are looking for role playing guards within 1 year we found servicable guys fairly cheaply (e.g., Sura, James). If we are talking facts, it is awefuly hard to ignore KG's quite superior FG%, superior FT% (on supposedly a "bad" offensive year scoring 22PG) and monster rebounding numbers. Again, if you want to talk facts. Again this is just speculation and not to be taken too seriously, but yeah I'd lean on doing it if it was there.
The duos you mentioned are not finesse players. Otis and Robinson were enforcers. Also Otis was not comparable to Hakeem offensively and Robinson was a role player when he won in 2001. Otis and Robinson were not go to players the same way Hakeem and Duncan were. Yao and Garnett are very similar offensively. It would not work. Just because they can hit the midrange jumper, it doesn't mean that either of them could make up for the loss of a great perimeter player who stretches the defense. Yao and KG are post players who need the ball to be effective. Otis was a scrapper, he could gobble up rebounds for putbacks ala Ben Wallace and get his points that way. They don't run any plays for B. Wallace, but yet he's productive. That's what the Rockets need beside Yao. There is not enough space or enough plays to accommodate two great offensive players who both need the ball in the post to be effective. They would simply take away from each other's effectiveness. The best duo you can get from Yao, KG, T-Mac is: Tmac and KG
DR is at least as soft in the way he played as KG. Also OT had a 20-10 season before coming to the Rockets and was their #1 option when Hakeem was out. I wouldn't call OT an enforcer per se (e.g., Oakley, Mahorn, Rodman, Wallace), though he was a fine defender, good rebounder and solid #2 option. And OT didn't have the range or face up game of either Yao or KG. Perhaps, but it really depends on if Yao has growth left. If Yao gets a notch more dominant/steady/relentless, I think pairing him with the more impactfull defensive player and bookend 4 next to him (KG) would lead to the better team.
