Garnett Criticizes Young Bigs for Lack of Growth

Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett faulted Bam Adebayo, Evan Mobley and Paolo Banchero for showing no year-over-year improvement.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Basketball

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a basketball center driving toward the basket on an indoor court, with visible brushwork and bold team-color blocks. — Kevin Garnett said on the KG and Stephen A. Smith Show that young big men like Bam Adebayo, Evan Mobley and Paolo Banchero are not improving year over year. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Are young NBA big men improving enough year over year to meet expectations?

Hall of Fame player Kevin Garnett said he is disappointed that young big men are not showing growth from one season to the next. He made the remarks on the KG and Stephen A. Smith Show podcast, naming Bam Adebayo, Evan Mobley and Paolo Banchero as players he is watching.

Why it matters

Garnett said he is holding the league accountable for player development, arguing that players who do not improve did little during the summer. His critique puts a public spotlight on how teams and young centers and forwards are progressing after offseason work.

No statistics were cited in the source; the criticism rests on Garnett's expectation that Bam Adebayo would rank among the league's best bigs this season, compared with what he has shown so far. Advanced metrics for Adebayo, Evan Mobley and Paolo Banchero were not provided, leaving their year-over-year change unquantified.

The players

Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett is a Hall of Fame basketball player and a former NBA big man who now co-hosts the KG and Stephen A. Smith Show podcast.

Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo is a center for the Miami Heat known for his defense and versatility as a big man.

Evan Mobley

Evan Mobley is a young big man for the Cleveland Cavaliers recognized for his defensive length and rim protection.

Paolo Banchero

Paolo Banchero is a forward for the Orlando Magic who was the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The details

On the KG and Stephen A. Smith Show, Garnett said he is disappointed when young big men do not show growth year over year. He said players who do not improve did nothing in the summer, and he noted that some players return from the same injury they had in April.

Summer: the offseason period in which Garnett says the players did not improve.
April: the month in which the injuries Garnett referenced were first sustained.
July: the point at which the injuries were reportedly no longer present after offseason work.
November 11, 2026: Garnett's comments were published on ClutchPoints.

Season Trajectory

Garnett's critique frames player development as a measure of whether young centers and forwards are fulfilling their potential as the season progresses. The judgment bears on how these players' trajectories shape their teams' competitive outlook in the current campaign.

For fantasy managers, Bam Adebayo, Evan Mobley and Paolo Banchero are the players whose production trends will determine whether Garnett's criticism reflects a real slowdown. Tracking their per-game numbers over the next several weeks will show whether the expected growth materializes.

The takeaway

Garnett's standard is simple: a young player should be measurably better than he was the year before. Watching whether Adebayo, Mobley and Banchero meet that bar will show whether the criticism holds up as the season moves forward.