Greatest shot blocker in each NBA team’s history

Best shot blocker in Minnesota Timberwolves history: Kevin Garnett

Coming straight out of high school as the fifth pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, Kevin Garnett had high expectations placed on him at a time where most people his age would be getting acclimated to life in college.

He started off well, and after a few seasons of reps and training, “KG” began utterly dominating the rest of the NBA as one of its most statistically dominant players.

Offensively, Garnett had a terrific inside-out game. His mid-range shot was nearly automatic, which made him a great pick-and-pop partner. He could face up and take it to the basket, or he could post and hit turnaround jumpers for days. Because of his high release, it made his shots unblockable.

His passing may be the most underrated part of his game. It wasn’t that he could run the offense, but every time a double team would come, Garnett could figure out how to get the ball to the open man and hit slashing teammates.

Then, there’s the famous “KG” all-out hustle and energy he brought to the table, helping him become a terrific defender both on the perimeter and near the rim. Garnett was always so locked in mentally. He was never fazed by anyone on the opposing team. It was always about simply getting the stop, no matter who had the ball.

Before it was a prerequisite that an NBA big had to guard multiple positions, “The Big Ticket” was doing it for years, using his boundless energy to crowd point guards and then sprint back to protect the bucket. His all-around defense was so good, he averaged 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in 14 years playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves first came to fruition in 1989. For all intents and purposes, Garnett put them on the map, giving them one of the top players in the league and a future MVP who everyone enjoyed watching for the way he approached the game of basketball.

As the only player to lead a franchise in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks (among other categories), it certainly wasn’t Garnett’s fault Minnesota didn’t have much success during his time there. He gave everything he had to each game no matter the stakes, putting him among the other successful prep-to-pro stories and making him a fixture in the history of Minnesota basketball.