Is AJ Griffin Better Than Kevin McHale? NBA Stats Decide

Few NBA comparisons generate more debate than AJ Griffin vs Kevin McHale. The numbers reveal a genuinely competitive matchup — Kevin McHale takes 5 categories while AJ Griffin claims 3, making this one of the closer head to head comparisons at the F position. Every statistical category matters in a matchup this tight.

Kevin McHale's Blocks Per Game of 1.7 compared to AJ Griffin's 0.2 represents a 750% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Kevin McHale's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Free Throw %, where AJ Griffin posts 89.8% against Kevin McHale's 79.8% — a gap of just 12.5%. AJ Griffin can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 5-3 tally suggests. In any debate, Free Throw % is the statistical ammunition for the AJ Griffin side.

The forward position in professional basketball demands versatility — the ability to score, rebound and defend at an elite level. The most decorated forwards in NBA history have excelled across multiple statistical categories.

The verdict favors Kevin McHale — 5 categories to 3 — but AJ Griffin makes this far from a one-sided debate. Anyone building the case for AJ Griffin has real statistical ammunition particularly in Free Throw % where the gap narrows to just 12.5%. The numbers have spoken, but the argument will continue.