Jerry Zgoda's short takes

Like Tim Duncan two months before him, Kevin Garnett walked off into retirement in September without any real fanfare, which didn't shock pal Doc Rivers one bit.

"They're complete opposites and yet they're very much the same in some ways," said Rivers, the coach of the Clippers. "In that way, you knew Kevin was going to leave quietly, which you don't say about Kevin very often. You knew Tim would the same thing, and they both did. They both literally left the game and said goodbye and you didn't see them again."

Well, not entirely. Garnett does Thursday night appearances from his own set on TNT's NBA coverage.

"He missed the camaraderie, he misses the locker room," said Rivers, who coached KG for three seasons in Boston. "I don't think he misses the work anymore, and he put in as much work as any player I've ever seen."

Good thing TNT analyst Kenny Smith isn't prone to hyperbole or he would have gone further than he did when making these Wolves comparisons on Thursday:

• On Kris Dunn:  "He has Russell Westbrook-type tendencies because of his size, strength and ability … Coaches love to find trust. Sometimes you just have to give it."

• On Andrew Wiggins:  "He's going to be the new 2-guard of the future. He's going to take [James] Harden's spot. He's going to take Klay Thompson's spot."

• On Karl-Anthony Towns: "He's going to be the new Tim Duncan. He's going to be the guy. He has three-point range. He has post-up ability."

• On Zach LaVine: "He's the new Clyde Drexler."