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After watching the New York Knicks mow down the Boston Celtics 100-85 at TD Garden on Tuesday night, it was painfully obvious what transpired for the beleaguered home team: No KG, no fun.
No chance, either.
We’ve been told Kevin Garnett will be gone for the next two weeks because of an injury to his ankle — or his foot. If it sounds murky, that’s because it is.
ESPN Boston: Boston Celtics can’t compete without Kevin Garnett’s fire
Lets face it, lets all get out of our imaginary land and back into reality land. This is not 2009 where the Celtics can still have a legitimate chance at making a run despite losing Kevin Garnett for the season due to knee injury. This isn’t 2010 where despite losing Kendrick Perkins in Game 5, they still had a chance. This is 2013 now, Kevin Garnett is hurt, and without him the Celtics don’t have a chance. It is really that simple.
All season long we have been stressing the statistics that when Kevin Garnett leaves the floor, the Celtics struggle, mightily. He has been their backbone, their messiah, and their Achilles heel all in one mainly for the fact that he has covered up some of the major flaws in this team by playing as well as he has. But now without him, its painfully clear that this team just has too many open wounds to avoid serious implications. They don’t have a Center, they don’t have a true power forward except for the few games that Wilcox decides to show up for (yes I know I’m specifically ignoring Bass, what a waste he’s been) and overall their depth is scary. Without Garnett, these flaws rise to the surface, as they did last night against the Knicks.
When Kevin Garnett’s career is all said and done, I truly hope that fans appreciate just how great he was in his time here. I don’t toss the word “great” around as freely as some people may, but Garnett is truly deserving of the title. He has carried this entire franchise on his back for a significant amount of time, but never has it been more evident than this year. The injury news coming from the Celtics, as the quote above mentions, is murky at best. It sounds eerily familiar to the lies thrown at us during his knee saga. Remember the “He’ll be back first round” “He’ll be back if there is a Game 7” “He’ll be back by Game 5” and then after the season we get “He was never going to be ready to come back”. That is what this feels like all over again….
The Celtics need Kevin Garnett, plain and simple. He is their vocal leader, their lead by example leader, their “hop on my back” leader or whatever else you want to call it. Lebron James may win the MVP just because of this whole winning streak crap, he’s putting up gaudy numbers (mostly at the free throw line hmm) but I think that the MVP award should be reconsidered and not just handed to the best player on the best team. Take James away from the Heat and you have a playoff team. But take Garnett away from the Celtics and look at the fiasco we have here. Does that not define most VALUABLE player to his team? A playoff team goes to a lottery team without their star ? Ask yourselves this as you go into war within your cubicles today…what team has a more significant dropoff without their star at the helm the Heat without James or the Celtics without Garnett. Once you find your answer, please make sure to write your local senator.
The Links: CSNNE – 1st double double for Green in nearly 2 years | Martin showed Cs what they missed | Knicks and Celtics 5th loss in a row | Crawford solid in first start for Celtics | Bradley struggling, just like Celtics | NESN: Kenyon Martin Rips Celtics for Not Signing Him, Claims Failure To Sign Him Was Their Fault | Paul Pierce, Celtics Struggle to Maintain Effort, Focus Without Kevin Garnett as Injuries Mount | Boston Herald: Celtics hurtin’ for certain | Celtics had a chance | Celtics no longer in playoff driver seat | Knicks savor latest win vs. Celtics | ESPN Boston: Knicks stomp KG-less C’s | C’s were close with Martin | Crawford seeks frightening balance
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