The sportswriters selected Steve Nash as MVP this season. I have noted previously that Steve Nash had a very good season, ranking in the top 10 in Wins Produced. Previously I also argued that Jason Kidd was a bit better, ranking second overall in Wins Production and first among point guards.
But even Kidd was not the most productive player in the league. As Malcolm Gladwell revealed yesterday on his website, I analyzed the 2005-06 season and the player who led the league in Wins Produced was Kevin Garnett. Garnett finished the season with 26 Wins Produced. This marks the fourth consecutive season Garnett has been the most productive player in the NBA. Yet the sportswriters didn’t show KG any love when it comes to the MVP voting. Not a single sportswriter named him on an MVP ballot. He also wasn’t named to the All-NBA First Team, Second Team, or Third Team.
The problem for KG is not his game, but his teammates. In 2002-03 Garnett produced 31.5 wins. The rest of his team produced 15.1. The next season Garnett produced 30.5 wins while the rest of the T-Wolves produced 25.3 victories. The increased productivity of his teammates allowed the writers to notice Garnett and give him the league MVP award.
In 2004-05, as we note in the book, Garnett was essentially the same player who won the MVP. He produced 30 wins, but his teammates only produced 14.8 victories. This past season, just to make life even less fun, his teammates only produced 9.4 wins. So over the past four seasons, Garnett’s teammates have averaged 16.1 wins per year. Although Garnett is averaging close to 30 wins per season, it is not enough to overcome the performance of his co-workers.
This past season no player in the league had less productive teammates. Only two of his fellow T-Wolves posted an above average wins production per-minute played – Wally Szczerbiak and Eddie Griffin – and one of these was traded away during the season. And Griffin was only barely above average.
And that is the tragedy of Kevin Garnett. Year after year he is the most productive player in the league. And year after year he plays with many players who are not only not average, but quite a bit below average.
I should note that KG’s Wins Production has declined each of the past four seasons. He still leads the league, but the difference between him and everyone else gets smaller each year. Soon Father Time will take its toll and KG will no longer dominate the NBA. Hopefully before that happens, he finds a few co-workers who can help him achieve the recognition his performance indicates he clearly deserves.
— DJ
Wages of Wins Journal 
Harold Almonte
May 30, 2006
It means that not every team or city is prepared or conditioned to get a high school superstar in draft?, or have upside to built something with him, therefore the early lost of balance in payroll that he can create, will be traduced in no success?
This is a good point to analyze. Does GM´s know this?
joe from brooklyn
May 30, 2006
Correct me if I’m wrong but I believe KG’s monstrous salary is not as significant a deterrent as claimed because he did get it before the league put in more of a cap. It could certainly be a deterrent to management offering huge contracts to other players merely becuase so much money is going to KG. But it’s not a deterrent because of the NBA. After all, the T-Wolves did offer Latrell Sprewell $11 million a year and he turned it down assuming he’d make more money elsewhere. He didn’t. They had Wally S. under a huge almost-maxed contract. And they didn’t offer Sam Cassell a contract because of the money; they didn’t offer it because they thought he was hurt and too old. He wasn’t. So I don’t think in this case money alone has been the problems here; it’s mainly been management decisions and trades that later proved to be failures.
Rafe
May 31, 2006
Kobe’s shooting percentage has hardly changed over the years, regardless of how many shots he takes. It’s to Kobe’s credit that he has made as many shots as he ever has even as his shots per game have gone up.
This sentence, however, is completely false: “Kobe only shot .450 because he took almost twice as many shots as Garnett, but that’s called diminishing marginal returns.”
pat
May 31, 2006
I watcched a fair number of Wolves games back in Dec. and Jan. before the Wolves collapsed. They lost many close games, and they had no one who could step up and hit the big shot. Garnett is as likely to pass the ball in the last minute as shoot it, and if he did shoot he wasn’t particularly clutch.
Evan
June 2, 2006
FYI to Steve Sailer that Tim Duncan is actually younger than Kevin Garnett, and so despite 4 years of college should have produced at similar points in their respective careers.
Amar
June 8, 2006
First of all, Tim Duncan is not older than Kevin Garnett. Duncan was born in April of ’76 while KG was born in May of ’76. They are contemporaries at the very least, although Duncan entered the league two years after Garnett did.
BTW, I don’t know what it is in Minnesota, but how is Garnett’s situation in Minnesota different than LeBron James’ career in Cleveland? The Cavs have not had much talent around LeBron in his three years in the league. Certainly, Minnesota has had more talent there throughout the years then Cleveland has been able to put around LeBron. An injured Larry Hughes? An over-the-hill Zydrunas Ilgauskas? Losing Carlos Boozer to free agency? Drew Gooden??? No point guard besides…Jeff McInnis and Eric Snow?
Compare that to Marbury, Terrell Brandon, Tom Gugliotta when he was in his prime, Joe Smith when he was in his prime, Szcerbiak, Cassell, Sprewell, and now Ricky Davis. Far, far more talent has passed through the turnstiles at the Target Center than at Gund Arena. Yet, LeBron is able to lead his Cavs out of the first round against a Wizards team against whom the Wolves would have almost certainly choked? I think KG is a better player even right now than LeBron, and as a Cavs fan and writer, I’m not going to be biases and say otherwise. But at what point do you compare KG’s situation to the situations of other stars around the league who have had to put up with garbage supporting casts? LeBron hasn’t even been maxed out yet…once that happens, the Cavs will have even a tougher time trying to get him some help.
Jenkins
July 14, 2006
Even still, Lebron benefits from playing in the Eastern Conference. Although the East has two championship caliber teams, it seems to be that the ability from the fourth best team down pales when compared to the West.
Therefore, Lebron will need less talent around him to be competitive. Getting into the playoffs is easier in the East, and the first round opponents that each team draws (with exception of the 7 and 8 seeds) will also provide much less competition. That, and not any propensity for Garnett to choke, explains why the Timberwolves seem incapable of making the playoffs the last few seasons, while Lebron recently found himself there.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that the Timberwolves teams did make it to the Conference Finals with Sprewell and Cassell supporting KG. They likely could have beaten the Lakers if not for Cassell’s injury in the conference finals.
Lebron simply benefits from a weaker conference.
Jordan
July 16, 2006
I agree, Kevin Garnett has been the best player for the last couple of years. If only Kevin McHale would be a little smarter and get some better players to support around Kevin Garnett. Especially that little Loss of Draft Picks some what years ago killed the T-Wolves chances to support Kevin Garnett.
Kevin Garnett is better then Lebron James and Tim Duncan
No doubt about it and he always will be. The Cavaliers actually have money to use to support Lebron James, but if Lebron was in Kevin’s situation he would not be as fortunate as he is now
K.G fo life!
Kevin Garnett
July 16, 2006
At least I got somebody who showin’ me some love ya know?
PPEEEEEACCCCCCEEEE
P.S. Im havin a great time in Asia!!! If your there come see me, ill be doin a bunch of shows in Bejing, India and Other countries which are amazing to visit.
Fwd Credit
October 4, 2006
Nice and simple article to read, instead of reading
all that crap which is floating about on blogs.
Must admit it’s saved in my favorites……
Shelvie
December 7, 2006
Kevin Garnett is by far one of the best players in the league. It is refreshing in this day and age of so many players thinking only of “me, myself, and I” that Garnett has remained loyal to the Wolves and not gone out seeking more money and a larger media market team to show off his wares.
Kudos to you, Kevin Garnett. May God bless you!!!!
Fundraiser
January 18, 2007
A few questions from a blog idiot
How do you keep the spammers from eating you alive? i\’ve seen blogs with nothing but spam postings.
How do you keep some left wing extremist from posting racist or defamatory rhetoric? and if you cant stop them, what are you legally liabel when they do?
can viruses be posted to blogs?
db
June 20, 2008
….Hopefully before that happens, he finds a few co-workers who can help him achieve the recognition his performance indicates he clearly deserves.
He finally did, congrats Kevin!
Jeremy
June 22, 2008
Not so tragic anymore!!
Tyson
June 22, 2008
It’s hard to believe that before winning this championship, sportswriters would have actually debated about whether Garnett is a hall of famer.
TowelWavers
March 6, 2009
now garnett proved that it was really a lack of support that is why he couldnt win in minnesota. with ray allen and paul pierce by his side, the championship was inevitable. heck, he went to the conference finals with sam cassell and latrell spreewell as his side kicks.