Kevin Garnett

[Larry Joe Bird]

Garnett’s knee woes provide a strange saga by Bob Halloran.

Excerpt:

"What did they know and when did they know it, and who totally messed up where Kevin Garnett is concerned? This has been one of the strangest, most uncovered, most under-discussed stories in Boston sports. For a region that can fill up the airwaves for hours and hours dissecting a seventh-inning pitching move, why haven’t there been more questions about Garnett’s injury, especially regarding the original diagnosis, his premature return to the lineup and the ensuing plan to get him ready for the playoffs?"

[MaxwellSmart]

Either it was Amateur hour, or the C's are brilliantly saving him for Round 2.

[Larry Joe Bird]

Doc Rivers on Kevin Garnett: There's a Chance, But Not a Very Good One

Excerpts:

Rivers added, “Like I’ve said before, yeah, there’s a chance, it’s not a very good one...I guess you could report that and it’s correct, but it’d be incorrect.”

"Garnett will need surgery on bone spurs in his right knee that are not related to his tendinitis in the back of the same knee. Garnett is holding off on the procedure in the remote hope that he could return if the Celtics advance past the first round."

[Celts17Pride]

Who cares?

KG can play or he can't play. Right now he can't play. It's that simple. Injuries are not an exact science.

[Larry Joe Bird]

Who cares?

KG can play or he can't play. Right now he can't play. It's that simple. Injuries are not an exact science.

Celtics fans care. Not a lot has been said about the injury and neither KG nor any of the Celtics staff or the doctors have said anything about it so it is hard to say whether or not he will play if the Celtics advance in the playoffs. If the injury is serious enough that he absolutely will be unable to play and if he needs surgery then it would be better to have the surgery now so that the healing process will take place sooner rather than later.

It may also depend on the player, i.e., if he is willing to play injured depending on the type of injury. For example, back in '87, Kevin McHale played 40mpg during the finals on a broken foot in spite of being told by doctors that playing with that kind of an injury may end or shorten his career. KG is probably dealing with a similar type of issue right now.

"He [McHale] played the six-game series against the Lakers on what was essentially a broken foot. The pain was so bad that he used a patio chair from the hotel pool as a walker, yet he played 40 minutes each night. The Celtics lost the series in six games and McHale underwent surgery on his right foot during the offseason." http://www.nba.com/history/players/mchale_bio.html

[sully00]

I love when guys write articles like this and show their true colors. Halloran is a talk radio host from central casting in a b movie. It isn't an article about what really happened with KG which would be useful. It is a "Why isn't there an uproar about this! I have nothing to write about!"

Who the hell has surgery and is good as new in two months?

Obviously the guys knee didn't respond as quickly as hoped how is that somone's fault? It happens all the time, it sucks, but it happens. I guess he should have just walked off the floor in Utah and said "See you all in Oct I am done."

[BRUNiNHO91]

Nobody deserves to play thru pain. It hurts so much...I have played soccer on a lightly sprained ankle, and I will never do it again because it sucks! So if KG needs to pull a McHale, I wouldn't let him do it. Suffering physically is not part of basketball. If he can come in and give us 20 minutes per game WITHOUT having to suffer in pain, I'm all for it. But if he is in extreme pain you can't let him play.

And one thing about this knee situation that bothers me is Garnett not saying ANYTHING about it. I have never seen something like this...not even ONE WORD out of him from this.

[Larry Joe Bird]

So if the knee injury is as serious as everyone here seems to think then KG should have surgery now rather than later. He can begin rehab early and heal in time for next season.

[Larry Joe Bird]

I prefer Cedric Maxwell's opinion on this issue. He had some knee problems during his career so his input on this subject has significant value. I just read the following excerpt from an interview he recently gave:

"Maxwell doesn't think Kevin Garnett can play more than a game or two with his knee injury. He said there's a spur in there that causes a lot of rubbing and swelling. Maxwell doesn't think it's practical to roll him out there like Willis Reed. Maxwell thinks it's going to take time to heal." LINK

[Dirty Water]

I wonder how healthy KG would be if he never tried to comeback and didn't play some of those regular season games.