Written by Graham Brunell
Kevin Garnett sits on the bench every game, watching in agony and pain knowing that his team could be cruising right about now if he was active. However, that's not nearly the case, as his knee supposedly has nowhere near the capability of supporting him if he played.
He sits with his lips pursed (when he's not screaming of course), too overcome that he is not able to walk out on that court and help his team. It can sometimes become too emotional for him, causing a reluctant trip to the locker room where he then watches the game on TV... like the rest of us.
The most productive thing he can do besides entertaining us with his often colorful language is become a mentor to his fellow mates. He has the best seat in the house sitting on the Celtics' pine, analyzing every play intently, and then picking up on mistakes (to him at least. Keep in mind, this is KG, a guy who is known to overwork himself in practice) made by his teammates.
Then again, I'm not saying I am not grateful for KG's coaching. Actually, I'm rather pleased he took on that role. Most people overlook his colossal amount of energy, and his extraordinary knowledge of the game. His presence is extremely vital to a team like the Celtics, especially with young guys like Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis.
Danny Ainge said that he would certainly at least consider dressing Garnett if he came to Ainge saying that he felt good -- although he would most likely be lying -- and wanted to play.
Although I don't necessarily believe that. If it was true, then why wouldn't Garnett have done it by now? We can all see his frustration while sitting on the bench, and considering his well-known intensity and passion for the game, there is really no logical answer as to why he hasn't come to Ainge (or Doc for that matter).
Then again, we haven't faced the possibility of elimination yet (where we didn't have a chance to win ourselves too), so we don't know what would be going on behind the scenes if that game took place.
And how long will his recovery for surgery take? Remember, Boston decided to put it off until further notice, as they were presumably thinking that he might return during the playoffs.
It doesn't look good as of right now, and if the time table for his return would cut into the beginning of next season, I would just stop avoiding it to get him better as soon as possible. Plus, we wouldn't want both KG and Leon Powe out for the start of next season!
Let's take a look at how he would help the Celtics be more effective in this series against the Magic if he was healthy.
- He would be a pair of fresh legs. He would perhaps be the only Celtics player that wasn't severely fatigued (well, the one's that actually play of course). Plus, the Celtics need any big bodies they can get.
- Shot-blocking. With exception to Perkins, the Celtics have no real shot-blocker down low. This would be huge as it would slow down Orlando's low post game.
- Rebounding. With Big Baby's size, Perkins is once again the lone guy who is the dominant C's rebounder down low. Garnett would be an enormous help to Perkins, who has basically been doing it all by himself with rare help on the boards from Davis (understandable because of his size) and Mikki Moore (little to no playing time.)
- Offensive preeminence. Garnett would give them a reliable jump shot, as well as a polished post game for 48 minutes. He is rarely inconsistent with his perimeter J, and his aptitude to draw opponents out to the wing and three-point area opens up a lot of space for Rondo, Marbury, Pierce, and Allen to drive. All of this put together would give Boston the upper hand on offense against Orlando,
- Defensive intensity and steadiness is something the Celtics have been lacking in this series against the Magic. With the constant reminders from Garnett, and his dexterity to carry most of the Celtics defensive game by himself, the C's would also be able to control the game on defense.
- Everything from the Magic series I mentioned above.
- Basketball smarts. In game 4 against Chicago, the game was forced to double overtime because of a three point shot by Ben Gordon. But here's the thing -- Gordon shouldn't have even had a chance to shoot that three. He should've been fouled when his feet were inside the three-point line, as the Bulls were down three points with less than 10 ticks to go. That way, even if they made both, they still would have been down one with the Celtics having possession of the basketball.
