Was KG injured all year?

[lojowo]

Looking at the year end numbers for all Celtics players, I noticed that KG free throw attempts are dwindling:

MIn 06-07 6.6 FTA/G
Bos 07-08 4.7 FTA/G
Bos 08-09 2.3 FTA/G

I originally thought, "well, in the Celtics offense, he's taking more Jumpers."

Based on 82Games.com KG is taking less Jumpers then in Minnesota:

Min 06-07 Jumpers 77% Inside 23%
Bos 07-08 Jumpers 73% Inside 27%
Bos 08-09 Jumpers 72% Inside 28%

So I'm wondering, " Where have all KG's FTA's gpne?"

Was he injured earlier then we thought this year, Making him avoid contact?

Or has the referees lost respect for KG due to his complaining?

Just a thought going into the off season because a player we may need to target is one who creates fouls, so we can get into the bonus earlier in the quarters.

[Mahoney_jr]

Good find. Right now I can only add that I thought KG is playing on a bum knee since late December / early January. During January it became obvious to me that he wasn't quite right.

[Jammer]

There were several times in November and December when I observed that KG had a problem running the floor, and guessed he might have a knee issue (thought to myself he might need a cartilage trim, but he'll delay it until it's a hard failure rather than a light cleanup, like all players seem to do). But of course, since your shock absorber doesn't grow back, the fate is bone on bone wherever you remove the cartilage from, if it's a tear thru all the way.

So, you're actually better getting your trim sooner rather than later, to minimize the overall damage in terms of how much cartilage you have to remove.

Bottom line, yeah, I thought he wasn't right from the get go.

But the Celtics have not admitted to cartilage damage.

They have said KG needs bone spurs removed, has (had) a strained tendon,
and were concerned about the knee lockingup (if that doesn't scream cartilage interfence I don't know what does). That's why this surgery is often referred to as exploratory. When they stick that light inside, with the little camera, and look at it on the big screen TV in the operating room, they know what they have to use that dang laser, tiny scapel and forceps on. But often times, they don't know the extent of the damage until they stick that damn camera in there and see what's going on on the big screen TV in the operating room.

But last I heard, KG was just going in for bone spurs. Hah. Love to hear what the Doctor(s) finally end up doing.

[Joselo16]

I don't know if it was just me, but every time I saw KG walking back to huddles or something he seemed walked a little weird, like he was hurting. Is thins an injury that can just happen unexpectantly like it did or was it caused by the bone spurs in the knee???

[BRUNiNHO91]

Speaking of KG when is that damn surgery being done? Wasn't it sometime last week? Or is it this week? Or has it been done already?

[SonicYouth34]

Hmmm...that's a great find. But if he was injured all year, wouldn't he take more jumpers ala Jermain O'Neal?

[lojowo]

http://www.82games.com/0809/08MIA17.HTM

http://www.82games.com/0809/08TOR17.HTM

KG took a higher percentage of Jumpers last year then Oneal, but always had.

[Zin5]

Good find. His offensive rebounding numbers and rates have also been going down. Granted, he's playing with Perk versus what he played with in Minnesota, but it went down half a rebound per 36 from last year to this year (2.1 to 1.6 this year, so a quarter off basically). Granted, some of that was playing with the injury late in the year, but I would guess that it has more to do with needing a rest. I mean, the guy played about 100 games last year, as opposed to playing about 75 the past few years in Minnesota. Wouldn't be surprised if he came back really strong next year with all this missed time.

[JMillott]

He has had bone spurs most likely all year, which would explain why he was setting up further outside then in past years on the pick and pop play. He obviously wasn't posting up with nearly as much frequency and went almost exclusively with his dreamshake fade away when he id instead of going towards the rim/contact.

I think the reason for him not returning is going to be cartilage damage though and i'm scared as hell it'll end up needing micro-fracture surgery once they open him up.

[PPAW4Life]

When KG kinda chewed out Big Baby earlier in the season and Baby got upset on the bench, KG came out in the papers and said he had been dealing with his own injured knee, but still came to work to practice and such.

That was very early in the season.

[Harison]

Yes, KG had issues with knee almost all season - after the games look how he walked to the locker room, - he was limping.