Rob Lunder
Rob Lunder

2 Rants

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

We continue to preview the Boston Celtics roster for the 2012-2013 season and today we look at Kevin Garnett and his outlook for this upcoming season.

The Celtics acquired KG before the 2008 season from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster deal which saw Boston send Al Jefferson, Gerald Green and a package of other players and draft picks out of town. GM Danny Ainge did an excellent job not including point guard Rajon Rondo in this deal.

I was speaking with a close friend about this exact topic not too long ago and it really is an excellent point. Ainge very easily could have just thrown him in to complete the deal. At the time, Rondo was a young player who had plenty of promise but did not have much production to his name. I can guarantee Minnesota asked about him, but Ainge did an excellent job making sure he was not part of the deal.

Getting back to Garnett, he was originally drafted by the Timberwolves fifth overall in the 1995 NBA Draft out of Farragut Academy in Chicago. At nearly seven feet tall, he is a match up nightmare and is one of the most dominant players of his generation. After his arrival in Boston, he immediately changed the culture of the franchise with his energy and defensive tenacity.

He is the quarterback of the defense. He will go down as one of the greatest players of all time and potentially the best defensive player of all time outside of former Celtic great Bill Russell. He is a coach on the floor and always knows every teammate’s defensive assignments. He is an absolute privilege to watch and is a great leader for the team.

Garnett is a very thin player who does not have the bulk to consistently bang in the paint with the likes of Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. I guess you could label him as more of a finesse player, although he really isn’t. He is one of the best shooting big men to every play the game. He consistently hits the 18 foot jumper and always keeps his opponents honest on defense. Plus, he is also a great free thrower shooter and an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor.

He is a decent shot blocker when he needs to be. His most important role, though, might be as the team’s defensive coach on the floor. He is a terrific help side defender and rarely ever gets beaten on the defensive side of the floor. Garnett is truly awesome in every sense of the word.

As we discussed when looking at Paul Pierce, Garnett really has no weaknesses to his game. He is about as complete of a player that you will find. The only negative at this point in his career is that he is starting to get up there in age. Head coach Doc Rivers will need to be strategic in limiting his minutes during the season to make sure he is fresh come playoff time.

That is exactly what he did last season and KG turned in a dominant post season performance. When Rivers would take him out for a breather, the team only suffered in his absence. If there was ever a player that you truly need for an entire game, it is Garnett.

Garnett is the engine that makes the Boston Celtics go. He does so many big things for this team and any injury to Garnett would be a demoralizing blow to this team. Not to bring up bad circumstances, but this happened a few years ago when he landed awkwardly on his leg during a regular season game against the Utah Jazz and he missed the rest of the year. If he were completely healthy that whole season, the team very well could have had another championship during his tenure.

Garnett is the leader of this team and is one of the main reasons the team is back in the hunt for another NBA title.

Rob Lunder covers the Boston Celtics for Rant Sports.  For all Celtics news, check out the Boston Celtics homepage on Rant Sports.