The End of the KG Era

[return2glory]

I know it's going to be hard for some of us to accept this, but KG is done. It's kind of sad and painful to watch him play. It's like watching Larry Bird in the last year of his great career. Bird was slowed down by back injuries and KG is slowed down by knee injuries.

I don't care that we lost against the Magic. This lose was different. KG was useless out there. He couldn't score or defend. He tried but his legs kept failing him. Our team prides ourselves on defense, yet we gave up 35 4th quarter points. This wasn't about this game. This was about KG.

It started against the Clippers in L.A. I was there to see KG in person. On that night, he was an average player on the floor. no longer a dominant player he once was. Then the next game vs the Warriors, when KG needed to bounce back against a Warriors team without a center, he looked average again. After that game he was shut down for about 4 weeks. I've seen enough of KG to know he isn't half the player he was even two years ago. He is playing on one leg and he looks old out there.

KG has had a great career and I'm glad he came to Boston and helped us win our 1st title in 22 years. I feel the window for us has been closed and I'm ok with that. We can't win every year. I'm grateful we won atleast one. It's just a little difficult to watch KG struggle out there and got out like this.

And no this isn't a doom and gloom thread. We are still a good team IMO, but we aren't the 2008 Celtics.

[bc legends]

Aren't reactionary threads the best.
In all seriousness, I do agree with some of what you're saying. KG is on his decline and will never be the superstar he once was, but he still easily possesses the ability to be a force on the court that can decide the potential outcome of any game. I'm not sure if you're aware or not, but KG was advised to avoid any type of physical conditioning while out so if anything this is reminiscent of the pre-season. Give it some time before you jump to any conclusions.

[BillessuR6]

Well, he will never be the "old KG" but he can still play a lot better than he played yesterday. His reaction after the game against the magic:

“I feel like I really didn’t do much tonight,” he said. “I’ve got to get better rebounding. I’ve got to get better overall in what I’m doing and give this team something.”

Garnett insisted the effort had nothing to do with the hyperextended right knee that kept him out 10 games recently, adding, “No, tonight was definitely not my night. The one thing about me is that I will continue to work and continue to try to get better. Hell, some nights you look good; some nights you look like (expletive). And this was one of those nights I looked like pure (expletive).

“I just played like (expletive). It’s on me.”

Link: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/bask ... nes_on_me/

[Cyclical]

Can you at least give him more than 3 games after an injury?

He was useless out there? Really? Were you not watching the effect he had on the team during the first 3 quarters? We played inspire basketball and a lot of it was due to KG's defense, communication, passing and overall influence and leadership. Though I don't see him going back to 2008 form I'm pretty sure he will look dramatically different in about 2-3 weeks than he did today.

Let's not pronounce any end to an era today please. At the very least wait til the playoffs.

[return2glory]

Thebirdman, I don't agree with KG's comments. You can have a bad night shooting, but a good player will make it up by rebounding and playing defense. KG didn't do either. His rebounding has been poor all year compared to what it was a 3-4 years ago.

He had a very bad night. But he is having a very bad year compared to his standards. I'm not blaming the guy one bit. Old age and injuries have caught up to KG.

[klemen4]

I got to agree with this post. In last month is the first time in last 3 years(since the big 3) I began to doubt that we will win Championship.

First year we were incredibly focused, hungry for victories...played the season as it was our last.

Ok last year we know we could not won it without KG.(If you remember with KG and Powe out Miki Moore was our first big of the bench also Walker playing some pf because of foul trouble. Only bench consisted of Marbury, House and Scal. We had no chance.

This year with Wallace and Daniels, KG back we have a lot better bench. Rondo improved, also Perk. But I got to agree here that KG slowed down, you see that on defense how he is not so explosive, dont rebound with that anger...I think we have enough to go to the finals, but I doubt we can win the Lakers there.

[vbonik]

Lol....celtic fans, brace yourselfs for another 22 years championship drought...ouch

[Ben-N1ce]

They will go as far as he can help them and right now KG is an average player. Hope at years end he's at least capable of being a very good player. They have more than just KG as a problem. They flat out can't rebound or don't even try. Every game is the same glaring issues. Carelessness with the ball and thinking rebounds will fall in their lap. They never go get them. I can't even tell you the last time I saw a Celtic jump in and tip a miss in. Weeks I bet.

[BillessuR6]

Ban the trolls, please...

[Tricky Ricky]

lets wait until the playoffs for reactionary threads...

[Al-Haqq]

I can understand both sides of this ... and they're both correct to a degree, but let's make a recap of KG over the last half of last season and this season.

KG - goes down through no contact vs Jazz. Knee simply gave up. Very bad sign.

KG - comes back and struggles with knee

KG - out, possible return in playoffs does not happen

KG - rehab

KG - slow start to season with glimpses of former self

KG - inevitably and very predictable he goes down with same knee vs Warriors

KG - week or two out turns into 10-games out

KG - back into line-up and struggling to be in-sync

KG - Doc claims knee is "OK"



..... not sure how many months it's been since he went down vs Jazz but guys, you need to start looking at the common denominator and that is KG is struggling with his knee.

What seems to be a week out turns out to be three or more.

What seems to be calls for patience by fans is always set back by more complications. He is struggling out there. Was it just a bad game? Perhaps ... but I'm not so inclined to brush it off as that because his knee is not 100%.

We're told - by fans mostly - to be patient? But why? Every time we wait for him to comeback and he does, it's followed by more complications.

Perhaps he will regain himself, but one thing is for sure ... he will not be the same 07/08 player.

Our season rests entirely on his knee.

[pac213up]

These posts are hilarious. Is there a chance KG "is done", sure given the knee injury. However it is still way too early to make any type of rational judgment. Even on a younger player these injuries take long periods of time. Without question his lateral movement and lift is affected. Also given that he is older it is safe to assume he will not regain them to level they were 2, 4, 5 years ago. It is also safe to assume that if the knee is structurally sound he will regain some during the course of the year. A normal off season will do wonders for his recovery and I expect the results we see next year will be significantly different. The Bird and KG injuries are completely different.

[hairybyrd]

I'd rather have KG at 50% over most players in the league but I agree, it's the end of an era. And for those who say it's not, and this is a reactionary thread, c'mon...Who saw the play where KG last injured himself? He slightly bumped knees in mid-air w Monta Ellis. Didn't look bad at all but he missed 10 games because of it. That wouldn't have happened 2 years ago. Then there's the drop in his statistics. Any way you look at it, KG doesn't strike fear in opponents like he used to nor is he the onceuponatime consistent scoring threat. He's a warrior and he'll play until his legs fall off but it's obvious he's not the same force.....For the record, C's still win #18 this year if KG is healthy regardless of how well he plays. His emotion is a true catalyst for this team and KG will carry them any way he can.

[Red2]

I'd like to believe that KG is still playing his way into shape but I think there's more going on . When you look at our team right now it's like the walking wounded; everyone is bandaged up. Thank God we won a title that firs year because I think that;s it for this group. Doc talks about lack of focus but it's more than that. OUr guys just aren't up to the task physically anymore. We haven't beat a top team in over a month ( Orlando on Christmas). We're capable of playing well for a half but then old age sets in and we don't have the legs to finish games. Barely beating portland and the clippers at home doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. Again, I'd love to believe what Danny and DOc are selling but I don't see it. The proof is on the floor and out there for everyone to see provided they don't have their green colored celtic glasses on. KG is a shell of his former self right now and the road ahead isn't getting any easier. If you shut him down again we'll only be going through this again in March or April. There's not much we can do about this other than hope. If everything goes south then 1) let's get the best draft pick we can and 2) let's start rebuilding asap. We're probably 2 years away though from being able to make any meaningful moves since we are so far over the cap

[Dogen]

I don't get to see many of the Celtics games these days so TNT's game last night was highlighted on the calendar.

The first thing I noticed after the tip off was that KG appeared to be dragging a cast around on his leg. WTF?!? It looked that bad, as if he was just getting off crutches. Worse than I expected, but then again I suppose my expectations were too high.

KG has been chronically injured for half of his Celtics tenure at this point. Wasn't it the Christmas game of 2008 or slightly before that when people started noticing the limp?

I still believe that that if KG can play back into form--- and Danny makes a small roster adjustment/additon-- the Celtics go back to the finals. But at the moment it is painfully, and literally, apparent that KG is playing at 50% of his peak ability. 50% is not enough. 80% might get it done, but there's a lot of improvement to go in only a few months. I wonder when Danny and Doc start to consider shutting KG down for the regular season, making the rest of the regular season an attempt to hold onto home court advantage. In the current situation, I don't see the C's beating the Cavs, Magic, or Hawks in a series, nevermind the Lakers.

As others have said, the season is basically riding on KG's knee.

[CeltsfanSinceBirth]

Lol....celtic fans, brace yourselfs for another 22 years championship drought...ouch

Lol, why don't you post under your regular SN, rather than hiding behind an alternate one?

[Kefa461]

Wow.....I thought this would be the End of the Reactionary Thread Era. My bad.

[mwhis21]

Why is it that the people who don't think there is a problem can only say "reactionary thread"? Whats the old saying "The Proof is in the Pudding?"

It's one thing to disagree with someones opinion that KG is done, or that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to that knee, but stop using the "reactionary post" excuse to defend your argument. It makes you look uneducated and only fuels the legitimacy of other peoples opinions.

If they were talking about one loss fine that would probably be a reaction to the game, but KG is a LEGIT concern. For those of you in denial, wake up and watch the poor guy. I'll stand by my thought that the reason KG is like this now is because the Celtics mismanaged this injury last year. It is very hard for 7 footers to come back from knee injuries. To be quite honest I feel that KG is headed for Micro fracture Surgery, and that can easily end even the best of athletes careers.

[tombattor]

I think it's time to trade everyone on the team over 28 for draft picks. Gotta rebuild. Always rebuild.

[LongTimeFan]

I thought it was Wallace that really didn't show up. And Perk.

Their centers got 18 rebounds. Ours got 5. If it weren't for KG and Rondo (both 7 each) we would have been totally destroyed.

KG is coming back from a knee bruise and he still led the team in rebounding. I think we should hold off on the pressure and hope these guys peak during the playoffs. We've already beaten these guys on their home court. And Cleveland, too.

Our biggest issue is with Atlanta, and a fourth seed finish would give us a chance to avoid them in the playoffs. It would also give DA a chance to draft in the middle of the first round.