Over the years, many legendary power forwards have graced the NBA with their mastery. Fans around the world will forever remember the likes of Elvin Hayes, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and other legends for their abilities on both ends of the court. However, the last two decades of the league were dominated by PFs like Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Garnett. But who among the three can be crowned the best? Let’s take a deeper dive.

Duncan, Nowitzki, and Garnett were almost unstoppable during their time in the NBA. While the three stars had very different styles of play, all three were automatic from mid-range. Interestingly, all three entered the league very close to each other, and they were all top-10 picks.

Tim Duncan – The ideal #1 pick who helped create a dynasty

Tim Duncan is arguably the model #1 pick any team would hope to draft. He won everything there is during his career and helped the San Antonio Spurs win five championships. And he retired as a one-team man as well. There is nothing more the fans or the front office could ask from him. Playing alongside a powerful center like David Robinson, Duncan took care of the power forward role.

In his sophomore year, Duncan led the Spurs to their first-ever title against the New York Knicks in the 1998-99 season. He averaged 27.6 points, 14 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game in the Finals to win the Finals MVP award. Notably, no other player from the Spurs averaged over 17 points.

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In the years that followed, Duncan continued his upward trajectory in the NBA. With his impressive performances, The Big Fundamental won two MVP awards and made the All-Star team 15 times. While leading his team to five rings, he won the Finals MVP award thrice. He also made the All-Defensive First Team eight times with his impressive defensive abilities. Duncan retired in 2016, averaging 19 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game in 19 seasons.

Kevin Garnett – Highschool star to NBA MVP

Kevin Garnett entered the NBA straight out of high school in 1995. He became the first player to make that jump in almost two decades. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected KG as the 5th overall pick. Unlike Tim Duncan, Garnett required a bit of time to settle in the league. It was understandable given his young age and lack of college basketball.

In the next few years, KG established himself as one of the best players in the league and made the All-Star team 15 times. He also won the MVP award in 2004. He led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in 2003-04 but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2007, he joined the Boston Celtics and formed a super team with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo.

He had to share the ball more with other stars on the team, which reduced his attempts per game and ultimately cost his points average. However, it helped him focus on the defensive end more and he won the DPOY in 2008. Furthermore, it also helped him win his first and only title against the Lakers.

Dirk Nowitzki – The European superstar

Dirk Nowitzki’s entrance into the NBA was very different from Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Nowitzki declared for the 1998 draft without going to college after playing four years of pro basketball in his country, Germany. The Milwaukee Bucks selected him as the 9th pick and traded him to the Dallas Mavericks. Playing outside his nation for the first time, Nowitzki struggled in his rookie season. However, he erupted in his second season and doubled his points, rebounds, and assists average.

Dirk became one of the best players in the league in the years that followed. Notably, he won the 2007 NBA MVP award. With his impressive performances, he was named to the All-Star team 14 times. He led the Mavericks to the 2005-06 Finals but lost the title to the Miami Heat. After a few years of heartbreak in the playoffs, the Mavs once again reached the Finals in 2010-11.

This time, Dirk and the Mavs had their revenge against the Heat by winning their first-ever title. Nowitzki was unstoppable throughout the series. He torched his opponents with his iconic one-legged fadeaways and averaged 26 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. Similar to Duncan, Nowitzki remained with the Mavs throughout his career and retired in 2018-19.

The numbers

There is no beating Tim Duncan in this comparison in terms of accolades. He has won more rings, MVPs, and Finals MVP awards than Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki. On the other hand, Nowitzki has a better points average and also averaged more points in his prime. While Duncan averaged 25 points or more only once in his career, Dirk did it five times. Garnett, however, never averaged 25 points in his career. Furthermore, Dirk holds the 6th position in the all-time scoring list with 31,560 points behind Michael Jordan at 5th. While Duncan is 16th (26,496), Garnett is 18th (26,071) on the list. However, the power forward role is more than just scoring.

Taking about defensive numbers, Duncan has the upper hand over KG and Nowitzki. Garnett has 9 All-NBA Defensive First Team to Tim’s 8. However, Duncan was consistent with 7 All-NBA Defensive Second Team selections to KG’s 3. But Garnett is the only one with the DPOY award. Nowitzki, on the contrary, has no All-NBA Defensive team selections.

When we look at head-to-head matchups in the playoffs, Duncan reigns supreme once again. Duncan and the Spurs faced KG and the Wolves twice in the playoffs and beat them on both occasions (1998-99, 2000-01). As Conference rivals, Duncan and Nowitzki faced more often in the playoffs. In their fierce battles, Duncan beat Dirk four times (2000-01, 2002-03, 2009-10, 2013-14), while Dirk and the Mavs beat Tim and the Spurs only twice (2005-06, 2008-09). Ducan had more points and rebounds than Nowitzki in four of their faceoffs (2000-01, 2002-03, 2005-06, 2008-09). Nowitzki had better numbers twice (2009-10, 2013-14).

Who was the best?

The three legends had different strengths and weaknesses. Also, a lot of other things impacted their numbers, especially their teammates. It can be argued Duncan was the most fortunate in terms of Hall of Fame teammates with the likes of David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. Furthermore, he had the legendary Gregg Popovich on the sidelines. Garnett and Nowitzki also had good teammates but not as great as the Spurs dynasty.

Even though Duncan was a bit more lucky in terms of his team, there is no denying that he was the best overall player among the three. It can also be argued Tim would have better scoring stats if was in a poorer team. In retrospect, Duncan is not just one of the best PFs, he is one of the best ever. He should be rated higher in the all-time best players list as well. However, he is often overlooked, possibly because of not so flashy style of play and the Spurs’ lack of popularity.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.