Rank these four players in these seasons

[Purch]

Tim Duncan 03 Season
Charles Barkley 93 Season
Kevin Garnett 04 Season
Karl Malone 97 Season

[Chieflion]

This is tough, really tough. I am going to go through a criteria ranking here.

All these players are MVPs in their respective seasons.
3 players brought their teams to the finals that year, only 1 won (Tim Duncan).
Only 1 player was DPOY and MVP the same year (Kevin Garnett)
Only 1 player's team won less than 60 games that season (Kevin Garnett 58 wins)
Only 1 player had an offensive rating of 120 or above in the season (Charles Barkley)
2 of the players have a defensive rating of less than 100 (Duncan and Garnett)
Only one player played less than 80 games in the season (Barkley)
Only one player had a TS% of at least 60% (Karl Malone)
Only one player had less than 55% TS% (Kevin Garnett)
Only one player had a block percentage of over 5% (Tim Duncan)
Only one player has an assist percentage of less than 20% (Tim Duncan)
Only 1 player did not average a double double (Karl Malone, I know I am nitpicking but when the rest average at least 12 boards, this is a huge disadvantage)


All these factors were very close, but I would have to go with Tim Duncan, for one reason stands above the rest, how he won the NBA championship, not the fact that he won, but the way he won it.

Only 1 player out of that whole list lifted their game to another level in the playoffs (Tim Duncan). Tim Duncan was the only player to increase his PER, TS%, AST%, TRB%, ORtg, DRtg, BLK% and WS/48 all while reducing his usage rate. The rest of the players, Barkley, Malone and Garnett failed to lift their game to another level in the playoffs and declined in efficiency and production even after an increase in USG%. This was the ultimate tie breaker for me.

1. Tim Duncan (Best regular season + playoffs overall)
2. Kevin Garnett (Best regular season)
3. Charles Barkley (Somewhere in the middle)
4. Karl Malone (Worst playoffs)

[Pelicans78]

Eye ball test, I would say Duncan for sure. Really the perfect all-around player that season.

Barkley was dominant was well in Phoenix and really put the Suns over the hump and gave the Bulls a good run in the Finals.

Malone was in his mid 30s at the time and so probably past his athletic peak, but was hitting from everywhere that season.

Garnett was tremendous as well. I think he put up great all-around numbers and was spectacular defensively, but he would be the last guy I go to when the game counts.

[JamStone]

Hard not choose Duncan when you factor in the playoffs into the evaluation and he is the only one of the four to help his team win a le that year.

It would be far more interesting a debate and discussion if you put up Duncan's 2001-02 MVP season.

What I do gather from the stats provided is that KG was a freaking beast of an all around player. He did basically everything on the court you'd need from a player. Very impressive season, at least regular season.

[Giuseppe]

Barkley was dominant was well in Phoenix and really put the Suns over the hump and gave the Bulls a good run in the Finals.

Till he let MJ take his pants down.

[Nahtanoj]

1. Duncan (Dethrone 3x Champ on his way to win the le)
2. Malone (Dude gave MJ a better challenge in the Finals..)
3. Barkley (.. compared to this guy who got raped by MJ)
4. Garnett (Couldn't even make the Finals)

[rickross]

da only playa to eva surpass kg's carryin of a scrub ass team is bron. Kg all da way.

[BoricuaCJA]

Chieflion, Ben Wallace won the DPOY in Garnett's MVP season. Garnett was still a beast defensively however being on the 1st team All NBA Defensive team. He only won DPOY in 07-08 when he won the championship with the Celtics.

[Darrin]

This is tough, really tough. I am going to go through a criteria ranking here.

All these players are MVPs in their respective seasons.
3 players brought their teams to the finals that year, only 1 won (Tim Duncan).
Only 1 player was DPOY and MVP the same year (Kevin Garnett)

[Dunc n Dave]

While Malone's numbers look better than the other guys (scoring, FG%, etc.) you have to factor in that he was playing with one of the Top passing PGs of all time. He got so many easy buckets off the pick-n-roll and pick-n-pop for open 15 footers (moreso than ANY of the other 3 guys on this list) with Stockton that he had games where he looked like it was just a shooting/layup drill for him.
Malone didn't have to work as hard for his points (back to the basket) like Duncan, Barkely, and (to a lesser extent) Garnett did. So you would expect Malone to have the higher FG%. The only other guy on this list that played with a semi-elite passer was Barkley with Kevin Johnson. Duncan and Garnett had to work harder for their points and were both the focal points of their team's interior defense, (unlike Barkley and Malone).


Duncan was the more complete player (offense and defense, dominating in offensive rebounds, blocks, and his playoff numbers speak for themselves vs Garnett's.

1. Duncan
2. Garnett
3. Barkley
4. Malone

[BRHornet45]

Barkley
Duncan
Garnett
Malone

[lefty]

Barkley
Malone
Duncan
KG

KG and Duncan played in a much weaker era. Of the 4 players, Barkley was by far the most versatile and more of enforcer than any of those guys, especially over Duncan and KG. Malone was the most consistent of the four. Duncan was more skillful, and I don't even know why KG is in this list.

Barkley more versatile than Duncan?

Dunca dominates at both ends of the court

Barkley was good offensively, but he couldn't keep an eye on a 5 year old

[lefty]

Here you go... lowering the value of others to boost the value of Duncan. Outside of Jordan, Barkley was the best all around player of his era. But you wouldn't know that because they didn't have electricity in Algeria in the 90's.

And we didnt have water, heating, tv


But he had some wicked Kalachnikov's

[Dunc n Dave]

Also, due to the fact that Duncan is the only one of the three that has been surrounded by championship caliber talent for his entire career, he's received less double teams. He's the only one of the four that has had two all-stars by his side for the majority of his career.

Please enlighten me as to who the 2 All Stars were that he played with in 2002-2003?

[#2!]

Here you go... lowering the value of others to boost the value of Duncan. Outside of Jordan, Barkley was the best all around player of his era. But you wouldn't know that because they didn't have electricity in Algeria in the 90's.

Pretty sure the entire thread is about comparing these players' seasons.

[lefty]

Please enlighten me as to who the 2 All Stars were that he played with in 2002-2003?

Don't bother

LL always talk without backing anything up

[Dunc n Dave]

Parker and Manu. Look, I know you guys love to give Duncan all the credit, but hindsight teaches us that Parker, Manu, and Jackson were all-star caliber players when they came into the league. This is the only reason why they won that year. If Duncan was so great at carrying scrubs, he'd have done it during the Lakers three-peat... damn that sounds good. Manu and Parker were already professionals when they came over. The same with Splitter this season. The truth is, that was a loaded Spurs team that won that year.

Good logic... so... why wasn't Kobe able to win with 5 All Star players in 2004? Kobe, Payton, Malone, Shaq, and Horace Grant were all All-Star caliber players and they couldn't beat the Pistons?

See what I did there?

Sjax was a 12th man when he came into the league and rode the pine his 1st year as a Spur. Manu didn't even average double figures (and was hurt part of the year) and Parker in his 2nd season was so inconsistent (40% FG in the playoffs) that Speedy in Claxton ahd to bail him out of SEVERAL playoff miscues. And surprisingly, you didn't try to claim DRob was still an All Star in his last year in the league.

But yeah...keep talkin out your ass, luva....

[lefty]

Only you would compare washed up players vs future studs. Duncan had a load of help.

Kobe didnt get any help when jerry West sent Gasol to L.A

[mystargtr34]

Hard not choose Duncan when you factor in the playoffs into the evaluation and he is the only one of the four to help his team win a le that year.

It would be far more interesting a debate and discussion if you put up Duncan's 2001-02 MVP season.

What I do gather from the stats provided is that KG was a freaking beast of an all around player. He did basically everything on the court you'd need from a player. Very impressive season, at least regular season.

I think the point of it was to compare each player's best individual season... but 2001-2002 would probably be closer... although Duncan only played 8 or so playoff games so the sample size is probly a little small.

[JamStone]

I think the point of it was to compare each player's best individual season... but 2001-2002 would probably be closer... although Duncan only played 8 or so playoff games so the sample size is probly a little small.

I don't think that was the point. I think the point was to compare each of their "MVP" seasons. Barkley had better individual seasons than his MVP season. You could argue KG had a better season than his MVP season. I saw it as comparing MVP seasons. Duncan had the best MVP season of the ones listed and it's pretty clear. There's always the trump card of winning the championship and Finals MVP. So that's why I suggest taking his other MVP season, because it would make for a better discussion and debate.

[Dunc n Dave]

Only you would compare washed up players vs future studs. Duncan had a load of help.

Duncan did have help in 05 and 07, but he carried the team on his BACK in '03.

Potential doesn't win games, PERFORMANCE when it counts wins games.

Why couldn't Kobe get past the 1st round in 2006 (or into the playoffs AT ALL in 2005) when he had "Potential All Stars like Lamar Odom and Caron Butler playing with him? Your logic is ty, as usual....

Players who "are gonna be good" in a couple years don't cut it RIGHT NOW. And Manu and Parker were both up and down in the 2003 playoffs. Hence, Steve Kerr to the rescue vs Dallas, Claxton and Malik Rose to the rescue vs New Jersey, and SJax and Malik to the rescue vs Phoenix. Our "potential All Stars" couldn't get it done yet... Potential mean right now...

[Darrin]

Chieflion, Ben Wallace won the DPOY in Garnett's MVP season. Garnett was still a beast defensively however being on the 1st team All NBA Defensive team. He only won DPOY in 07-08 when he won the championship with the Celtics.

Wrong player. Ben Wallace won in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. Garnett was MVP in 2003-04 and Ron Artest was Defensive Player of the Year.