Will KG come back stronger next year?
The maniacal eyes of a warrior.
I’ve heard it a million times:Kevin Garnett will come back stronger next season. “Didn’t you read Jackie MacMullan’s piece?” people ask me. “People with Garnett’s injury take an entire year to get back to full strength.”
The latest to chime in on the subject was The Truth. “I think he’s going to be better, stronger,” Pierce told the Boston Globe. “You saw at the end of the year, how Kevin played and how he moved, that he got better.”
Okay. I understand the reasoning. People with Garnett’s injury take an entire year to get back to full strength. I get it. I’ve heard it a million and one times now. But it still doesn’t answer the question in the headline: Will KG come back stronger next year?
Because his injury is only a part of the equation. His injury will be better next year, say the doctors. And I believe them. I’m sure the effects of the injury will be gone, or at least damn near gone. But what about everything else? The millions of miles on his legs? The 41,695 regular season minutes he’s played, accumulated over a span of 1,124 regular season games? It takes a full year for someone with Kevin Garnett’s injury to return to full speed. But there are other factors that could continue a slow and steady deterioration.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to take a pee on your parade. I’m not trying to take your hopes for next season and crush them in one swift blog post. I’m just keeps-in’ it real.
Players with 40,000 minutes under their belt simply don’t continue to produce at the same levels. It’s this crazy thing they call wear and tear, or age. And all those minutes I told you about? Not a single one of them have been half-assed. Garnett plays basketball with a ferocity most humans couldn’t possibly obtain, and it’s incredibly admirable. But you have to wonder whether it will be a detriment as he continues his career. You have to wonder whether KG’s attitude – that coach’s-dream, hell-bent need to play 100% at all times – has only accelerated the aging process. After playing all those ferocious minutes, is there anything left in KG’s tank?
Maybe there actually is. Garnett works as hard as anyone in the business. He takes runs on the beach before dawn. He doesn’t take days off, even in the offseason. That same mentality that has made all his minutes so tough is the very thing that has kept Garnett so close to the top of the NBA food chain for a decade and a half. It’s also the same mentality that keeps him in great shape, the same mentality that likely made him rehab like a fiend. If Garnett fails to come back stronger next year there is no chance it will be due to lack of effort.
Need another ray of hope? Look no further than Garnett’s game. He’s a seven-footer with a reliable jumper out to 20 feet. He’s smart. He’s unselfish. He’s versatile. A game like that should age with some serious grace.
Plus, you know, people with Garnett’s injury take an entire year to get back to full strength.
That’s a million and two times now. I can only hope each and every one of them proves true.
Related posts:
Celtics Columns, Featured | Jay King | July 25, 2010
Agreed. It’s not just the injury that slowed/s him down, it’s those damn 15 years he’s spent in the league. His contributions, while great, have become largely symbolic.
But rather than saying that he’s history, can’t we all just agree that he’s a legend?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Legends never die
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Love this comment.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
He’s 100% a legend, no matter what else happens. He was one of my favorite players even before the Celtics picked him up. But his play for next year is still TBD.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
KG is already a legend, and I’ll believe he’s done when I see it.
As of right now, after the offseason he had (apart from the two first games of the Finals, he was a 18 ppg, 10 rpg guy with an amazing defense), I’m fairly confident about him getting better and better going forward with an other offseason to rest his body and another training camp at full steam.
Like you said Jay, what we know with Kevin is that he won’t give it up, he’d rather die trying, so we don’t have to worry about his will to be ready for day one of the regular season.
Let’s just hope his body won’t let him down. If not, be prepared for another year of KG madness
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Yup.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I’d like to see him used a little differently next season. His role needs to change to reflect the change in his game. They can’t keep pretending he’s 04 KG but he could far more valuable in other ways.
His passing has always been elite for someone his size and his jumpshot must be respected out to 20 feet. I’d like to see them run the offense through him at the high post, let him find cutters or open wings at the three point line. This is especially sound if Rondo isn’t on the floor and there is no pure point.
He doesn’t have the athleticism or the strength to dominate in the post and be a scorer anymore but with his intelligence, he could dominate as a facilitator and bring a new focus to an offense that often stagnated last season.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Here’s what’s ‘real’…KG is having a lousy summer because the Cs lost Game 7 and the series to the hated Lakers. So he is extra, extra, extra motivated and will be working to get in great shape and be better able to play like we expect. I’m not worried about the ‘miles’ on him. And playing him at the high post some would be good but, I also think he needs to be down low on one side of the lane where he can rebound and get his shot (deadly from the baseline). Just watch, he’ll surprise everyone come the season, as that is what living legends do. Go Cs…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I love KG but he’s not a legend. Legends win multiple championships carrying a team on there back i.e.,
Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Shaq, Isiah Thomas, and Kobe — and players with extraordinary stats like Jabbar, Wilt, and the Big O. KG is just a great player. A legend he is not.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I don’t know if I would say that. He brought the Celtics back to the promised land. He’s a legend in my eyes.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Jay, Garnett didn’t bring this team back to the promised land. That’s naive. It was the combination of all three, and lets not forget that Peirce was the finals MVP, and the one that basket for basket with Lebron in game 7 of the semis. If you want to pin it on one guy then Pierce deserves more of the credit for delivering a championship
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Garnett is widely given credit for turning around the C’s attitude. Have you ever heard the story of the team doing suicides in training camp, when Pierce was loafing and Garnett got in his face to make him run harder? Garnett is a selfless player, tireless defender and plays harder than anyone in the NBA. Not so coincidentally, the Celtics have taken on Garnett’s best traits since Garnett got there.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I agree he brings energy, has a positive attitude, and works hard but that doesn’t make him a legend which was the originally argument at hand. Legends show up in game 7 of the NBA finals. Gasol clearly outplayed him all series and it is not because he’s old. In 2008 Gasol had a handful of games where he gave Garnett trouble as well. Garnett has never showed up in the clutch. Isn’t that a prerequisite to immortality in the NBA. Magic Johnson’s game seven playing center. Bird shooting fadeaway threes and stealing inbound passes. MJ flying through the air not to be denied. And Kobe making shot after shot at the end of games. Those guys were on another level
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Apparently 6 for 24 makes you a legend just because you won.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
read what a wrote again their Jay “shot after shot at the end of games”. when did I ever say anything about Kobe’s performance in game seven. And, you took the reply button off so I wouldn’t write back. Now that is someone who is afraid of logic. I can’t read your blog anymore. Your comments are moronic and irrational.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Afraid of logic? LOL. After three replies, the reply button turns off automatically. Believe me, I’m not afraid of your comments. You’re talking about how clutch Kobe is, but numbers tell us he’s very overrated in the clutch and in both series against the Celtics he’s been very human. Kobe’s great, a legend yes, but just because he is doesn’t mean KG isn’t. KG’s a legend and if he’d been on better teams in Minny might be considered the greatest power forward ever.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Wrong.
Legends are judged by their body of work, throughout their career. You are talking about guys who are CELTIC legends. Let’s not confuse the two because to be a legend in CLE or MIN, you would only need to win ONE, but because Garnett is now on the Celtic’s the “Legend” category just got tougher.
For almost his entire career Garnett dominated and changed his position, he is a first ballott HOF and a top five at his position ever, and worked his butt off to make his team (MIN) even respectable when he had nothing to work with. He did so with a class and an intensity that, I dare say, no one has played the game with.
Bird, MJ, Magic no, but legend yes.
As for KG, he is too proud and too much a competitor to just lose it. His game is aging and will fade, but in a graceful manner.
He will not be the 20-10 guy of old, but for the experience, intensity and mind he has, 17-8 will suffice and that is what I expect KG to do this year and probably next year.
His numbers will decline but that will also come with others, like Rondo, shouldering more load. And yes, I would love to see his passing put to better use on double high screen rolls along with JO and Rondo, creating another dimension to the offense that we wouldn’t have with Perk.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Did you just start your argument with the one word “Wrong”! What a dork. Listen, do me a favor and get a book on the history of the NBA. The very notion that someone out there actually thinks Garnett is top 5 ever at his position is an absolute travesty. He is a great player. There’s not doubt about that, but lets not get carried away. History will remember him for a great jump-shot, the energy he brings, rebounding, and in his prime, his defense.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Top 5 power forwards? Garnett has got to be there. It goes Duncan one, Malone two, Garnett three, Barkley four, McHale/C-Webb/Nowitzki five.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Maybe you should be a little more worried about those miles.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
If KG isn’t worried about the miles why should I be? You can also be an NBA legend without winning a title. At least that is what I believe and KG has a ring. He could have 2 if not injured last year and could have had 3 if the Laker refs hadn’t interfered. How many rings does Jerry West have and why is he on the NBA logo with only 1 ring? Because, he’s a legend. Read his story here – his play was awesome, but he has only as many rings as KG and KG can still get more.
http://www.nba.com/history/players/west_bio.html
Nine finals, eight losses and six of those to the Celtics (all in a row!).
Go KG and go Cs…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Two reasons you should be worried: 1) He was pretty damn bad last season, and 2) history tells us players with 40,000 minutes and 1,000 games players start a steep decline.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
If that’s the case then why is DA planning on a 2-year run? Where’s your faith? He was stronger, and getting stronger at the end of the season and during the playoffs. Yes, his rebounding in Game 7 was pathetic but that can be fixed and he looked pretty damn good to me in all the other games in that series. You watch and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effect he is this coming season. And injuries can happen to anyone at anytime just ask Oden, Walton, and Bowie. Go Cs…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I respect your relentless optimism.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
…you haven’t even begun to understand the level of my optimism. I’ve watched NBA games for 51 yrs. Go Cs…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I’m with you James.
I am an optimistic realist though.
I understand the body of players will fade but I too am not ready to concede that KG is simply done.
KG will return and be solid, although I had my doubts during the season, but he proved me completely wrong and dominated through the playoffs for the most part.
Everyone is talking about how rapid the decline will be for the C’s big three yet no one says a word about Bryant and the minutes he’s played. He’s played more than any of them. If you expect to see decline…look no further than LA people.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I wish I was more like that.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Watching 51 years of NBA games helps you learn a lot. KG is in great shape for his age and I’m sure he takes care of himself as earning $22M per season only lasts as long as you are healthy and good. I’m willing to bet he wants one last contract after this one is done, too. He’ll come off the bench as the Cs continue there run with Rondo/Perk and the next Celtic superstar. How’s that for optimism? Go Cs…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
You have great faith, my friend.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0