Ball or Nuthin' » Kevin Garnett

Stick a Fork in the Celtics…They’re Done

T Lamont — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:52:32 +0000

Sure, Miami did what it was supposed to do.

It held serve by winning its first two home games of its series with the Boston Celtics. But, if you watched those games, you’d realize that the Heat did much, much more than that.

It goes against conventional wisdom to count out an accomplished, vetrean team like the Celtics. However, Miami is far from conventional.

Jumping out to a 2-0 series lead, the Heat have looked as good as video game makers expected them to look. The Heat’s highlight reel has been flooded with crossovers, ball fakes, blocked shots, slam dunk and alley-oops. And unfortunately for Boston, Miami has to win to more games before it’s highlight reel video is complete.

Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have declared an all-out assault on any basket being defended by the Celtics. If basketball hoops had any feelings, they would feel about as old and beat up as the guys in green.

Although they are responding in a very professional manner by properly acknowledging that the series is “far, far from over,” the vindication of the first two wins must feel very sweet for the dynamic duo. Last season, the Celtics dispatched the teams of both superstars in the trek to the NBA Finals. Boston ousted Miami (led by Wade) in the opening round, 4-1, and followed that by halting the Cleveland Cavaliers (led by James), 4-2.

Clearly, Wade and James were each the superior individual talents in those series, but Boston’s had their deck stacked with stars (Pierce, Allen and Garnett), and role players (Tony Allen, Glen Davis and Eddie House). And, of course, they had the player whom I believe is now leaving Boston with a huge void, Kendrick Perkins. But this time around, the Heat are exposing the Celtics’ lack of interior defensive presence…and they are doing it in a big way. The trading of Perkins should have been a red flag to all who felt that Boston would meet Miami in the postseason.

In their previous playoff runs, Boston was strong enough to withstand the efforts of one of these superstars – when teamed with other of sub-superstar quality. But having them both on the same team? With no one to match them athletically? And no one to clog the middle?

This is the view that Celtic defenders have had of the Miami Heat's Big Three in their conference semifinal series.

I recall the stat which is often cited during the NBA playoffs – the team winning Game 1 of a postseason series goes on to win that series roughly 70% of the time. I’m sure that percentage increases dramatically when that team is also victorious in Game 2. But there is a bit more behind that statistic than fans normally realize. In the traditional playoff formatting, the team hosting the opening game of the series is the home team. By the numbers, they are the team that accumulated the better regular season record (of the two teams), and have therefore played the best and most consistent basketball all season long.

While that descripiton may not be one that’s fitting to the Heat, many have rightfully realized that they have been a work in progress. And judging from the opening two games of the series, Boston – the older, slower and unhealthier team – may have too much to contend with.

I’m not saying that the Celtics won make things a little more interesting, but they are not going to win four out of five games against Miami. Certainly not based on the way that either of these teams is playing at the moment.

Well done.

That’s a term that can describe Miami’s aggresson, internsity and sense of urgency thus far in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

It’s also a term that fits the Celtics, since the new kids on the block have all but stuck a fork in them.

Bon apetit.

James Jones Becomes “That Guy”

T Lamont — Mon, 02 May 2011 01:35:16 +0000

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So far, the Heat are making me look like I know what I’m talking about.

With Boston’s trading of Kendrick Perkins and blowout loss to Miami late in the season, it seemed that the confidence that the Heat needed to topple the Celtics had finally taken shape.

Miami’s 99-90 opening game win in the Eastern Conference Semifinals was notable for several distinct reasons:

1. Dwyane Wade proved that the poor shooting bug that hampered him in many of their earlier battles was a thing of the past. Wade attacked early and often, and helped the Heat soar to a sizable advantage. When Boston trimmed the deficit – as we all expected that they would – D-Wade returned to enable Miami hold on to their cushion and close the game. His dominance in this game was particularly important because it sends a strong message to Doc Rivers and his coaching staff – that LeBron James is not the only player on which your defensive gameplan should be concentrated.

Boston needs to get more production than six points out of K.G.

2. Chris Bosh (7 pts., 12 rebs., 1 blk.) and Kevin Garnett (6 pts., 8 rebs., 3 asts.) basically played to a stalemate. This is clearly a matchup that the Celtics desperately need to win. So, in Game 1, this was easily won by Miami. If the Celtics think that Bosh is a bit on the soft side (as most of the NBA-watching public does), Boston needs to exploit that to try and own the paint. With Perkins in OKC, Shaq keeping the media on edge with his health status and Jermaine O’Neal not an intimidating factor, K.G. is vital to the Celtics’ success in this series. Add to that the fact that their most productive frontcourt player is Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis – who wishes his listed height of 6’9″ was really true – and it becomes clear that protecting the rim could be a problem for them. And by the way, Davis had the worst plus-minus of any player that took the floor today (-21).

3. The Celtics can’t lose their cool. The one thing that Boston has always seemed to have in its pocket has been the ability to keep its composure. Whether the fourth quarter calls were correct or not, they were questionable enough that Paul Pierce had to maintain his focus if the Green Guys were to stand any chance at pulling off a late stunner in American Airlines Arena. Instead, Pierce picked up two techs. He was gone, and so were the Celtics chances of stealing Game One because…

4. Did Rajon Rondo even suit up today? The point guard position is the one spot that Boston should have an undisputed edge. Rondo is a guard with game-changing speed and quickness, understated intelligence and clutch abilities. His performance failed to represent what he is capable of, and that is certainly unacceptable in critical postseason games like this one. Granted, he is handicapped by his inconsistent shooting range (3-10 FGs), but he committed almost as many turnovers as assists (5 to 7) and only managed to get to the line twice. Rivers has to get more aggression out of him in Game Two.

Jones was spot-on for Miami in Game One.

5. The Miami Heat found that guy. Throughout the season, analysts agreed that on a roster with two of the game’s best slasher, someone would ultimately be required to knock down shots from the perimeter. Miami tried their hand with several options – Mike Miller, Eddie House, Mike Bibby – hoping that catching and shooting would be easy enough for them. However, it was James Jones, a little known swingman with great range, who made his presence felt the most – peaking with him winning this year’s Three Point Shootout. Jones stepped up today in a huge way. He scored 25 points, was 5-7 from the field (all triples) and, perhaps even more importantly, found a way to take ten free throws…making them all. Jones was easily the difference-maker in the series opener.

For Game Two, as Rivers indicated in his post-game interview, his team has to take care of the ball. Boston committed 14 turnovers (5 from Rondo, as mentioned earlier), which was actually two less than Miami. However, the Heat were aggressive with its chances and the Celtics are not equipped to contain them on the break.

In the same breath, Boston must realize that it cannot get behind. While Miami has been noted for giving up big leads, this Celtic team is one that cannot count on its defense in the same manner that it has in the past. Rivers has to encourage his team to counterpunch the Heat. Specifically, Boston needs to take advantage of break-out opportunities – including the creation of early offensive scores from Rondo.

The initial game plans for each team will remain the same, but somehow Game Two will hold the potential for even more fireworks.

Boston Confidently Dispatches the Heat

T Lamont — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:39:53 +0000

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We really don’t like anybody…we like ourselves and that’s what we focus on every night.

Despite his words, Ray Allen’s focus was squarely on the rim.

Allen canned seven three’s and scored 35 points to prove that, in fact, the Celtics don’t like the Heat. He did this as Boston came into the American Airlines Arena and exited with a 112-107 win over Miami.

Last night’s game was almost identical to the Celtics’ opening night 88-80 victory over the Heat. The Celtics stormed to an early lead, clearly exerting their dominance in the contest. Let’s check out the key elements that contributed to Boston’s triumph in these teams’ second meeting of the season:

Rondo’s one-handed tomahawk – With about three and a half minutes remaining in the first period, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo executed the play of the game. With a back screen approaching, Rondo did a small crossover on Eddie House, and then took off down into the paint. He delivered a monster jam right next to Chris Bosh – who provided Rondo with his very first posterization. The 6’10″ Bosh looked like he had no intention of trying to block the 6’1″ Rondo’s dunk attempt. Just plain sad. But the dunk was only one play of yet another opposing point guard controlling the flow of the game. Chris Paul, Deron Williams and now Rondo have all dominated the Heat from the point. Miami is going to have to figure out how it can cope with losing the battle at this position on most nights.

In two games against the Miami Heat this season, Wade is shooting 6 for 28.

Dwayne Wade, where are you? – For the second time, D-Wade was thoroughly ineffective against Boston. Wade was only 2-12, and almost had as many turnovers (6) as points (8). Simply put, the Heat’s former franchise player shrunk into a role player who couldn’t get the job done against the C’s. Watching Wade play, his lack of shooting confidence is a glaring issue that he is going to have to overcome. Right now, any productivity that he is able to create has been based on his athletic ability – which is not good enough to get the job done when battling one of the league’s premiere defensive teams. Chris Bosh had a brief moment of brilliance in the second quarter, but otherwise contributed a quiet 15 points and 7 rebounds. Udonis Haslem (21 points, 10 rebounds) was the second best player for the Heat last night. LeBron James played well and gave Miami a chance to break into the game at the end, but his near triple-double – 35 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists – turned the heat into a one-man show. Even he hit the side of the backboard on an attempted triple from the corner that would have made things quite interesting late in the fourth. Boston doesn’t allow one-man shows to beat them – so Wade had better fix his broken jumper if Miami plans on sniffing the Finals. The good news is that he has a long time to do so.

Ray Allen couldn’t be stopped…or could he? - Allen was on fire tonight. He sunk his first 7 three-point field goal tries (before missing his last two), and the Heat never seemed to make it a priority to corral him. But why not? Maybe because Miami does not have a player on its roster who is prepared to chase Allen around and through screens all night. Wade, Eddie House and James Jones all tried their hands at it. But from an even bigger perspective, the Heat did not commit to their defensive identity against the Celtics. The visitors shot 54% from the field (including 56% from beyond the arc), highlighted by some wide open shots for Allen, who is perhaps the best shooter in the NBA. This illustrates that the Heat needs to avoid its defensive lapses if it wants to have a chance at greatness this year.

Did the Heat forget that Ray-Ray is a little better than most other shooters?

Soft in the middle? – We all know that a team with Chris Bosh as its power forward can only be but so rugged. That’s where Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire come in. They have to be enforcers on this team. But there’s only one problem – they’re not getting any burn. Anthony played for almost eight minutes, and was perhaps the most invisible man in the arena (1 personal foul, no points, rebounds or blocks). Magloire got a DNP-CD, and has played in just three games this season, collecting a totalof three points and five rebounds. The Heat are going small, and they are paying for it. They’ve been dominated by the likes of Emeka Okafor, Paul Millsap, and Kevin Garnett. Haslem is perhaps the toughest player on the team, but at 6’8″ – the same height as LBJ – he lacks the size to play with the big boys for big minutes. From a defensive standpoint, someone has to step up in the middle, and Erik Spoelstra will have to tinker with his rotation to make it happen.

Sense of urgency – Boston had it, and Miami didn’t. The Heat never revealed any true angst or displeasure as the game developed. The didn’t seem like they were particularly disturbed about being outplayed on their home court. They didn’t care that a team with players who are past their prime was manhandling them. How could a team, with such high expectations, not be ready to play against the team that had defeated them earlier in the season? A team that is a clear rival? A team that many expect them to meet down the road? For some inexplicable reason, the Celtics had the chip on their shoulders. And Miami didn’t come close to knocking it off.

It all adds up to the fact that the Heat have some handy work that they need to take care of. They’ve got quite a while to get it done…but if they want to achieve their ultimate goal – which, at the very least, should be a trip to the NBA Finals – the job better be done by the time they get to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. With the up-and-down Orlando Magic and the streaky Atlanta Hawks in the picture, even advancing to the conference finals should not be considered a foregone conclusion.

Garnett’s Comments Dead Wrong

T Lamont — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 03:42:55 +0000

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The NBA is a league in which intimidation can make all the difference.

It’s more than a matter of record that some of the most decorated players in the history of the National Basketball Association also talked the most trash. Names like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Gary Payton, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson are known for their impact on the hardwood as well as the verbal assault they placed on their foes.

Today, the man who currently possesses the title as the NBA’s biggest trash talker is Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. K.G., like his potty-mouth predecessors, has experienced much success – he’s an 13-time All-Star, an NBA champion, a former NBA MVP and a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

On last Tuesday night in a game against the Detroit Pistons, K.G. squarely put Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva on the defensive. After the game, Villanueva tweeted the following about an in-game comment by Garnett:

“KG called me a cancer patient, I’m pissed because, u know how many people died from cancer, and he’s tossing it like it’s a joke. I wouldn’t even trip about that, but a cancer patient, I know way 2 many people who passed away from it, and I have a special place 4 those.”

For those not aware of why Villanueva would be upset – the 6’10″ former Connecticut star has a condition called alopecia areata. It basically causes hair loss, which Villanueva combats by sporting the bald look.

After catching wind of Villanueva’s tweet, Garnett attempted to implement some damage control by responding with the following:

“I am aware there was a major miscommunication regarding something I said on the court last night. My comment to Charlie Villanueva was in fact ‘You are cancerous to your team and our league.’ I would never be insensitive to the brave struggle that cancer patients endure. I have lost loved ones to this deadly disease and have a family member currently undergoing treatment. I would never say anything that distasteful. The game of life is far bigger than the game of basketball.”

Now certainly there’s a lot that goes on between the confines on the basketball court that the general public are probably unaware of. The fact is that there is almost assuredly no limit of what is said among players. And any attempts to regulate any trash talking would almost seem to be a moot point…becoming more of a “he said, she said” situation.

Will Villanueva's tweet put a stop to K.G.'s trash talking tendency?

But based on what Villanueva tweeted and what Garnett responded, K.G. is clearly in the wrong. Maybe not legally or by any matter that can be addressed by the league. But the court of public opinion is sometimes more punishing than losing what would be considered chump change to a multimillionaire.

Here’s why Garnett made a misstep…

Trash talk is generally accepted when the topic is something that is a controllable situation. For example, having an ugly jump shot, a terrible haircut, or even being overweight (or not in peak physical condition) would be considered as legit trash talking because they represent circumstances that can be changed.

But the line is crossed when unchangeable characteristics are made light of. That would envelope things such as race or ethnicity, relationships with family – and serious health conditions would also tend to be included. Villanueva cannot do anything to change his medical condition, and thereby became the victim of an insensitive comment from Garnett.

You might say that Villanueva’s not really affected by cancer. But the fact that he resembled a person that could be affected by cancer is the important thing here. Garnett is surely aware that hair loss can be a symptom exhibited by those affected by cancer, hence, any reference to Villanueva and the word ‘cancer’ would be done in very poor taste.

And what if Garnett only said that Villanueva was ‘cancerous to his team and the league?’

In this case, any use of a derivative of the word ‘cancer’ would be taken in a negative light. Garnett could have said that Villanueva isn’t helping his team, or that he was harmful to the image of the NBA. But, if he did say what his response suggested, his use of the term ‘cancerous’ would reflect just as much poor judgement as if he would have called Villanueva a ‘cancer patient.’ Think about it. Does it matter if someone who is not African-American says that I am ‘acting in a niggerish manner?’ Of course it does.

While Garnett was trying to save face with his rebuttal, if only confirmed one thing – - he lacks the tact to admit that he shouldn’t have said what he did.

But hey, what could we really expect from the game’s best trash talker?

Celtics’ Team Play Beats Lakers in Game 5

T Lamont — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 03:29:38 +0000

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In the pivotal Game 5 of the 2010 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics gave us a little math lesson.

Four is greater than one.

Many would argue that Rondo has become the most valuable Boston Celtic on the current team.

Celtics’ Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen combined to outplay Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant as Boston defeated the visiting Los Angeles Lakers, 92-86, giving them a 3-2 series lead.

Boston got out to a good start shooting the ball from the field. In a closely contested first half, the Celtics outshot the Lakers 66% to 33% from the floor. Paul Pierce was magnificent, shooting 7-10 and putting up 19 in the opening 24 minutes. Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett were also effective contributors. With such a notable discrepancy, what kept Los Angeles in the game?

In a word – turnovers. The home team committed 11 first half miscues, and L.A. converted them into 11 points on the offensive end. The Lakers also attacked the offensive glass, with Pau Gasol securing some valuable second chances for the purple and gold.

Kobe Bryant (38 points) put on a miraculous show in the third quarter. Three-pointers. Fade-aways. One-handed alley oops. He threw everything but the kitchen sink. And it went in. After struggling early in the game, Bryant scored 19 points in the period (the first nineteen of the period for L.A.) and accounted for 23 consecutive points for his team at one time in the quarter. But for all of his effort, the end result was that the Celtics increased their lead to eight points at the end of the third.

Everyone got into the act for Boston. Pierce (27 points in Game 5) remained killer from mid-range. Garnett (18 points, 10 rebounds) made a couple of forceful baskets. Allen hit a couple of field goals, too. While Los Angeles was once again riding the talents of Bryant, the Celtics were getting ball movement and involvement from virtually all of their key players.

In the final period, the Lakers opened by going to Gasol (someone other than Bryant). They were able to get the deficit to six points, but it wouldn’t stay there for long. Behind more team play on both ends of the court, the Celtics were able to push their advantage back out to double figures. Undeterred, Los Angeles continued to fight back.

Key play down the stretch: Down by five with 46 seconds to go, veteran guard Derek Fisher won a jump ball against Garnett. The ball was tapped up to Ron Artest on a breakaway – and he was fouled by Pierce. Artest badly missed both free throws and Boston secured the rebound. The Celtics called for a timeout in the backcourt. On the ensuing inbound, Garnett tossed a jump ball to Pierce – who caught it, turned and whipped it to a cutting Rondo (18 points, 8 assists) for a layup with 28 seconds remaining in regulation.

Although Los Angeles is more well-rounded and a much tougher team than they were two years ago, this series is beginning to take the flavor of the 2008 Finals. The Celtics are getting a more greater level of team inclusion than the Lakers – several Boston players were taking turns making plays tonight. Los Angeles desperately needs to orchestrate a way to get all of their important contributors into a rhythm. Bryant can get his anytime. Gasol, Odom, and Artest cannot.

Now that the Lakers are trailing in the series, will Bryant allow someone else to shoot the basketball?

Lakers head coach Phil Jackson was mic’ed and commented to his team that:

“This (the Boston Celtics) is a team that knows how to lose games in the fourth quarter. They led the league this year in games lost in the fourth quarter.”

But Jackson needs to know how to coach his team to win this type of tough contest. Against a defense like Boston’s, you cannot rely on one player to win. Ask Dwayne Wade. Ask LeBron James. Ask Dwight Howard. They are all league icons who have stepped up and taken a seat in this year’s postseason. If Jackson doesn’t tighten the reigns on Bryant early in the game and get others involved, L.A. could see their hopes of back-to-back championships diminish on Tuesday at the Staples Center.

Garnett played with fire again tonight. Pierce played like the unheralded leader that he is.

But can enough be said about Rondo?

Comparatively speaking, he can’t shoot – anything beyond the free throw line is a challenge. But has there been a player as good as he has been with such a well-documented handicap. One could argue that Shaquille O’Neal would fit that bill, but he’s well over seven foot (in height and width) – so he’s just too hard to stop from a physical standpoint. Everyone knows Rondo’s weakness, however, in each game he overcomes it in a bigger and better way.

In 2008, Kobe was outplayed by three Celtics. Bryant worked hard, and is perhaps a better player than he was two years ago.

But unfortunately in 2010, Jackson is counting on him to outplay four Celtics.

Tonight, he couldn’t do it.