hussEyquation
Menu

NBA player comparison

Who was better: Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan?

hussEyquationCareer impact · regular season
Regular-season verdict

Kevin Garnett ranks higher in career impact

Impact comparison
#5LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#30
+10.4LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+7.7
+9.2LeadsBest 5 average impact+7.0
1.0LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better3.3
3LeadsSeasons ranked No. 10
+7,631 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+6,394 pts

Career Impact Rank places Kevin Garnett #5 and Tim Duncan #30. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.

Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.

Career impact · regular seasonhusseyquation.com/compare/kevin-garnett/tim-duncan/career
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedKevin Garnett1.500 · No. 5Tim Duncan4.067 · No. 30

Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.

Kevin Garnett

1.500 composite · No. 5 all-time

Kevin Garnett's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 12003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate1.00050%0.500
Best 5No. 12003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate1.40030%0.420
Best 10No. 12003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21998–99Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 41999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42000–01Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate2.90020%0.580

0.500 + 0.420 + 0.580= 1.500

Tim Duncan

4.067 composite · No. 30 all-time

Tim Duncan's Career Composite windows
Window and finishes usedAverage finishWeightContribution
Best 3No. 22003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate3.33350%1.667
Best 5No. 22003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate4.20030%1.260
Best 10No. 22003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 82007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate5.70020%1.140

1.667 + 1.260 + 1.140= 4.067

Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →

Share this comparisonChoose a social post or link-preview image.

Full comparison · Career comparison

Understand the numbers

Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.

1 · Ranking evidence

Impact: who ranks higher, and why?

Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.

Impact: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#5#30
Best 3 average finish1.03.3
Best 5 average finish1.44.2
Best 10 average finish2.95.7
Show more stats: Impact
Impact: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement#6#15
Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+10.4+7.7
Best 3 average impact+9.9+7.2
Best 5 average impact+9.2+7.0
Best 10 average impact+8.0+6.1
Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+7,631 pts+6,394 pts
Seasons ranked No. 130
Top-five impact seasons104
Top-ten impact seasons1110

2 · Playing time and responsibility

How much did each player take on?

Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.

Playing time and workload: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Games1,4621,392
Minutes50,41847,368

3 · Individual skills

Where does each player have an advantage?

These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks a higher impact result above; these skill rows are not votes toward the ranking.

Shooting

True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.

Shooting: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
True shooting percentage54.6%55.1%
True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile54.9%55.6%
Show more stats: Shooting
Shooting: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Field-goal percentage49.7%50.6%
Three-point percentage27.5%17.9%
Free-throw percentage78.9%69.6%

Passing

Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.

Passing: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile22.4%17.5%
Assists per game3.73.0
Show more stats: Passing
Passing: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile11.8%11.8%

Rebounding

Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.

Rebounding: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile18.2%18.8%
Rebounds per game10.010.8

Defense

Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.

Defense: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile1.9%1.1%
Show more stats: Defense
Defense: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile3.1%4.6%

Scoring

Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.

Scoring: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Points per game17.819.0

4 · Team context, not ranking inputs

What happened with and without them?

These are observed results, not adjusted model estimates. Different teammates, opponents, injuries, and substitutions can explain some of the difference. They do not establish cause and effect or change the ranking.

Observed team results: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Overall team resultChange in points scored minus points allowed per 100 possessions when the player was on the court.+12.6 pts/100+9.3 pts/100
Teammate shooting with himChange in teammates’ shooting percentage when the player was on the court. Three-pointers receive extra credit.+3.1 %+2.3 %

These figures compare each team’s regular-season performance with the player on and off the court during the ten seasons shown. The teammate shooting comparison includes only players who logged at least 100 minutes in both situations. More playing time carries more weight. The results show what happened, not why it happened, and they do not affect Career Impact Rank.

Show more stats: Observed team results
Observed team results: Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
MetricKevin GarnettTim Duncan
Team scoring with himChange in points scored per 100 possessions when the player was on the court.+8.9 pts/100+5.3 pts/100
Team defense with himChange in points allowed per 100 possessions. A positive number means the team allowed fewer points.+3.7 pts/100+4.0 pts/100

Four separate questions

Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards

These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.

Ranking result

Regular Season Impact

Kevin Garnett ranks higher in career impact.

Kevin GarnettMetricTim Duncan
#5LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#30
+10.4LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+7.7
+9.2LeadsBest 5 average impact+7.0
+7,631 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+6,394 pts

This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.

Context

Team Success

Tim Duncan leads every available measure below.

Kevin GarnettMetricTim Duncan
942Listed-team regular-season wins1,072Leads
53.7%Listed-team winning percentage71.0%Leads
850-win team seasons18Leads
260-win team seasons5Leads
16Playoff team seasons19Leads

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.

Context

Playoff Résumé

Tim Duncan leads every available measure below.

Kevin GarnettMetricTim Duncan
14Playoff appearances18Leads
143Playoff games251Leads
71Team playoff wins157Leads
2Finals appearances6Leads
1Championships5Leads

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.

Context

Awards

The advantages are split across the available measures.

Kevin GarnettMetricTim Duncan
15All-Star15
1MVP2Leads
9All-NBA15Leads
12All-Defense15Leads
1LeadsDPOY0
0Rookie of the Year1Leads

Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.

How each context field is counted
Listed-team regular-season wins
The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
Listed-team winning percentage
Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
50- and 60-win team seasons
Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
Team seasons reaching playoffs
Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
Playoff appearances and games
Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
Team playoff wins
Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
Finals appearances and championships
Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
Awards
Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.

Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.

Curated debate

Garnett’s impact case meets Duncan’s team résumé

This is a dispute about the question being answered. hussEyquation compares regular-season impact; the most familiar case for Duncan begins with what happened in the playoffs.

Historical evidence. Reconstructed and estimated seasons keep their source qualifications in the evidence below.

What the model measures

The regular-season question

League-relative regular-season impact, first across individual seasons and then across each player’s accepted career windows.

Not in the score

Playoff performance, championships, awards, and hypothetical results under different team circumstances do not score Career Impact Rank.

Strongest objection

Duncan’s playoff record is too important to leave outside the verdict

Duncan was the center of a contender for nearly two decades and owns the stronger postseason résumé. A reader judging the whole basketball career can reasonably give that record decisive weight.

San Antonio’s continuity and Minnesota’s instability also make the team results difficult to assign to either player alone. The comparison can show those results without pretending to isolate every teammate, coach, injury, and organizational decision.

Career Shape Explorer

How the careers developed

Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.

View
Align careers by
Kevin GarnettTim DuncanPeak seasonHistorical source qualification

Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average

S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
S7
S8
S9
S10
S11
S12
S13
S14
S15
S16
S17
S18
S19
S20
S21

Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.

S means NBA season number; A means player age. Peak labels identify each player's accepted best season. Hover or focus any pair for season detail, or open Season timeline for the complete evidence ledger.