Stop Comparing Evan Mobley to Kevin Garnett, or I’m going to throw up.

Kevin Garnett told Carmelo Anthony that his wife tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios.

Current NBA culture does not allow for someone like KG to exist. The closest thing we have is Draymond Green and he is, frankly, a watered down version of what Garnett was.

Statistically, Mobley is having the better rookie season:

Mobley’s averages – 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks a game.

Garnett’s rookie averages – 10 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks a game.

If you look at Garnett’s numbers during his second season, when he was Mobley’s age, (remember that he came into the league at 18 years old, straight out of high-school) they are nearly identical:

17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks a game.

(Basketball-Reference.com)

Kevin Garnett Stats | Basketball-Reference.com

Stylistically, there are similarities. This is, of course, what everyone focuses on, as it is far too early to tell, truly, what Mobley’s ceiling will look like.

Writers place emphasis on his insane versatility. He switches positions offensively and defensively with ease.

Rarely do you see rookies make immediate defensive impacts, and if they do they are typically singularly dimensional and play on shit teams.

The Cavs are good. Their unique starting lineup and roster constuction functions because of Mobley’s qualities.

Mobley is multidimensional, and reports per The Athletic state NBA coaches are openly jealous that they don’t get to coach him.

Report: Coaches have ‘expressed jealousy’ that J.B. Bickerstaff gets to coach Evan Mobley

His build looks like a young Garnett. The fluidity to his movements are a small taste of deja vu.

I’m openly hostile to analysts who throw around comparisons to NBA legends and current All-Stars on draft night, designating college kids and high-schoolers as NBA studs with utter abandon.

If Mike Schmitz had it right, there would be 3 Hall Of Famers and 7 All-Stars in each of the past 3 draft classes.

Admittedly, Mobley is looking like a surer and surer bet to be a stud.

I could point out that just because you have a good half of a season, you aren’t worthy to be in conversations with Kevin Garnett, who’s resume is one of the most impressive of the past 20 years:

HOF (1st ballot)

NBA Champ with the 2008 Celtics

15 x AllStar

12 x All Defensive Team

9 x All-NBA

2 x MVP

and a Defensive Player Of the Year award.

It’s not just the accolades. It’s not just the play style.

It’s more than that.

Like Michael, Kobe and Draymond, KG is special because of the mental aspect of the game.

The psychological.

It puts him in a separate class.

Mobley has an impact defensively, but he doesn’t jump to block every jump shot taken after the whistle.

Those shots accounted for 0 total points. They wouldn’t get recorded as blocks. They wouldn’t do anything for his advanced metrics.

Number nerds wouldn’t care.

It’s about principle.

I like Evan Mobley, but he’s not walking up to Jerami Grant during tonights game and telling him what his wife’s pussy tastes like.

If Darius Garland leaves in free agency and signs with the Bucks, Mobley’s not going to take it personally.

Not the way KG did, when he wouldn’t acknowledge Ray Allen’s existence after he left the Celtics for the Heat.

Mobley won’t do the things that Garnett did; the illogical, the insane, psychotic rantings and outbursts of a caged madman who loved the taste of blood.

A man who took shit to far (telling a grown man that, over something as trivial as basketball? That’s too much bruh) and only liked it that way.

Comparing anyones game to KG’s, aesthetically, is neglecting the greatest thing about The Big Ticket. The 90% that made him who he was.

If you watched Kevin Garnett play basketball, and saw a complete basketball player, then you missed the point.

Calling him a competitor doesn’t cover it.

Kevin Garnett was an emotional terrorist. It wasn’t fun to play against him.

It wasn’t just uncomfortable, you feared him. He was frightening. Horrifying.

You can’t recreate that with shot blocking and positional versatility.

You can’t teach the menace, the malice. The loose screw.

The Dragon.

That’s what we’re talking about here. That’s KG.

Garnett’s statistical peak was the 03 – 04 season:

24 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks a game.

Those figures are attainable for Mobley. If the NBA has taught us anything these past 5 years, it’s that no stat is unattainable.

Garnett’s real peak was between 2008 and 2010: The Celtics championship runs.

Whether or not Mobley and the Cavs can reach that level, is still undetermined. It will be the distinguishing factor between the two on paper, until Mobley wins a ring.

On the court, in the game, in the moment, it’s not close.

There will never be another KG.

So stop. Just stop. Fuck off.

Compare Mobley to Anthony Davis.

Compare him to Giannis.

Hell, call him the next KD.

Keep Kevin Garnett’s name out of it.

Stop comparing him to a rookie who hasn’t even blown in a guys ear yet.