Kevin Garnett has been playing a lot more than usual lately. And it might have caught up to him out West. So in an effort to keep the Big Ticket fresh, Doc’s got a new plan for KG’s minutes: play him in 8 minute stretches.
“Playing less than eight minutes in a row is solid because it gives him a chance to come back in the game [stronger],” Rivers said. “The longer the stretches he has on the floor, the less he has coming back in. If we can keep doing it, it would be great.”
KG is currently right at last year’s average of 32.8 mpg, which isn’t bad. But he played 38 against Golden St. and 37 against LA. By the end of the Warriors game, KG was out of gas.
Against the Warriors, I felt like we were a little fatigued. I felt like I wasn’t even in the game.
“I told Paul [Pierce] and Ray [Allen] that I could have stayed at the hotel after the performance I gave. I pride myself about playing hard every night and I felt like I have taken a step back.”
Hate to say it, but this is the first outward sign of KG’s age being a factor. He’s going to be 33 in May… and as of right now, KG has played in exactly 1100 games (regular season and playoffs). Just for some perspective… That’s 39 more than Larry Bird. And their average minutes per game is very close. But KG is in year 14 of his career… and who knows when he’ll end? Could he be the first in a new wave of 20 year veterans?
This just highlights the need for our bench to step up its play. How many times has KG had to go back into a game because a comfortable lead was blown?
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