Kevin Garnett: Where Does He Rank Among Greatest Forwards in Celtics History?

It's no secret that the Celtics acquisition of Kevin Garnett in the summer of 2007 was the key to their resurgence as a preeminent NBA franchise.

KG's arrival in Boston, along with the trade for Ray Allen and the emergence of Paul Pierce as a bona fide star, propelled the C's to their 17th championship in the summer of 2008, another trip to the Finals in 2010 and ongoing status as one of the league's teams to beat on a yearly basis.

Allen's Hall of Fame shooting credentials, Pierce's place as a fellow future Hall of Famer, Rajon Rondo's ascendancy to near the top of the NBA point guard food chain and Doc Rivers' particular strengths as a coach all certainly contributed to the current era of glory for the Celts.

But it was Garnett, his toughness, tenacity, will and defensive prowess (remember, he was the 2007-2008 Defensive Player of the Year) sealed the deal.

As great as Garnett, who will likely be playing his final season in Celtic green (presuming there is a season) in 2011-2012, has been for Boston, his place in the pantheon of Celtics forwards throughout the team's illustrious history might be a little bit down the list.

It's somewhat of a fool's paradise to try to compare eras. For example, debating whether or not KG is a better forward than say, Tom Heinsohn, is pretty much impossible.

But for the sake of the argument, let's look at a handful of all-time Celtics' bodies of work.

In 268 games with the Celtics (not including playoffs), Garnett has averaged just under 16 points per game to go with 8.5 rebounds. He's made four All-Star teams, won that Defensive Player of the Year award and of course, one title.

All very solid numbers to be sure. And the intangibles he's brought to the table as a Celtics undoubtedly add to his place on the list of all-time Celtics forwards. But he still lags behind some other big names.

The most obvious of these names is Larry Bird, the greatest forward in team history. In 13 seasons, Bird averaged 24.3 points per game, to go with 10 rebounds, 6.3 assists and a 38 percent mark from three-point range.

Bird won three championships, made 12 All-Star teams, the 1979-1980 Rookie of the Year trophy, three MVP awards and two Finals MVP awards. There were two other Finals appearances spruced in there as well.

The case could be made for Kevin McHale (17.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 55 percent shooting, seven All-Star appearances, two Sixth Man of the Year awards, six All-Defensive first team selections and three championships), Dave Cowens (17.6 PPG, 13.6 rebounds, seven All-Star teams, one MVP award, the 1970-1971 Rookie of the Year trophy and two championships) and Heinsohn (18.6 PPG, 8.6 rebounds, six All-Star games, the 1956-1957 Rookie of the Year trophy and eight championships) all being in line with or even ahead of Garnett (not to mention John Havlicek, though he was more of a guard).

But KG, in just four Celtics seasons, has indubitably made his mark as one of the best forwards in franchise history.