Kevin Garnett: What Latest Boston Celtics Injury Means for the NBA
That rumbling gust of wind out of the Northeast that you just heard and felt?
That was the collective sigh of relief from Celtics nation as news broke that All-Star forward Kevin Garnett's latest leg injury is relatively minor, considering his history of knee problems.
KG's MRI revealed that he suffered a strained calf in Boston's 104-92 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, an injury that will keep him out of the lineup for two weeks, at the longest.
Now that those recurring nightmares of Garnett's knee injury against Utah in 2009 have subsided, how will KG's latest malady affect him, the Celtics and the rest of the NBA going forward?
Read on to find out.
Kevin Garnett: Baller, Interrupted
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Kevin Garnett's season, and overall return to on-court greatness, is now on hold thanks to a gimpy calf.
KG had finally worked himself back into peak playing shape after injuring his knee late in the 2008-2009 campaign, fighting through small setbacks and mental hurdles all of last season.
Garnett had looked much more like his former self this season before that fateful dunk in Detroit, averaging 15 points and 9.5 rebounds while anchoring the NBA's stingiest defense.
Fortunately for the Celtics, Garnett isn't likely to be out for long, with an early-to-mid January return in the cards. However, once KG gets back on the court, he'll once again be playing with thoughts of impending injury lurking in the back of his mind.
Boston Celtics: Green Won't Be as Mean without KG
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Make no mistake: The Boston Celtics will still be a very good team without Kevin Garnett in the lineup for about two weeks and even with him not at 100 percent.
Somehow, the Celts will have to manage with only three future Hall of FamersโPaul Pierce, Ray Allen and Shaquille O'Nealโplaying alongside six-time All-Star Jermaine O'Neal in the starting lineup.
However, they certainly won't quite be the NBA's best if KG can't go full speed. Garnett is undoubtedly the team's emotional leader, and without him on the floor, coach Doc Rivers will have to rely on the rest of his veteran squad to pick up the slack, both on the stat sheet and in the locker room.
Additionally, Boston's bench will suffer without the younger O'Neal in its ranks, as the Celtics' front court reserves will be dwindled down to Glen "Big Baby" Davis and rookie forwards Luke Harangody and Semih Erden.
Rajon Rondo: Hurry Back, Please!
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The loss of Kevin Garnett, however temporary, might not be so disconcerting if not for the ongoing absence of Rajon Rondo.
The All-Star point guard, who leads the NBA with 13.8 assists per game, has been out of action for the Celtics since December 15th due a sprain in his left ankle.
Rondo's injury came in the midst of the Celtics' recent 14-game winning streak, which the team managed to keep going with Nate Robinson in his place.
That being said, Boston could use Rondo's talent and on-court leadership now more than ever.
And, luckily enough for the Celts, Rondo should be back soon, having now been listed as "day to day" with his sprained ankle.
Will Injuries and Age Result in Another Midseason Malaise?
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Perhaps the real "danger" of losing a guy like Kevin Garnett for any period of time at this point in the season is the threat of a midseason swoon for the Celtics.
Remember, Boston was the talk of the NBA around this time last year, as they have been this year, rolling through the first third of their schedule to accrue 23 wins in 28 games.
The Celtics merely tread water from that point on, splitting the remaining 54 games and dropping to the third seed in the East. Granted, Boston didn't need the top seed to make it to the Finals.
Fast forward to the present, and the Celtics find themselves at 23-5 after a loss at Detroit, with a roster that isn't getting any younger and seems to be losing more and more of its health by the week.
As such, don't be surprised if there is something of a repeat of last season's finish this time around, with Doc Rivers carefully monitoring his veterans to make sure they will be ready to go once the playoffs roll around.
No Need to Panic in the Atlantic
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Boston's record from here on out wouldn't be a concern if not for the up-and-coming teams that the Celtics will have to contend with in the East to get another shot at an NBA title.
Assuming the Celtics don't fall off a cliff from here on out, with or without Kevin Garnett, they should be able to hold off the New York Knicks in the Atlantic Division to secure a top four seed in the East.
Boston is already 7-1 against division opponents, including a 2-0 mark against New York.
Then again, the Knicks, led by free agent phenom Amar'e Stoudemire, seem to get better with each passing game. In fact, New York nearly toppled the mighty Celtics in mid-December in a nail-biting 118-116 loss at Madison Square Garden.
Thus, even with a six-and-a-half-game lead in the Atlantic, the Celtics need to make sure they don't fall back too far as their competition continues to gain ground.
The Eastern Conference Is Comin' Up
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Of course, the Celtics need also be concerned about the rest of their Eastern Conference competition.
A 20-4 record against the East, including a combined 8-1 record against Miami, New York, Orlando and Atlanta, would certainly seem to bode well for Boston in its quest to affirm its reign as the definitive Beast of the East.
However, the C's loss to the Magic on Christmas Day may be a harbinger of things to come, especially if KG's calf strain turns into a significant setback.
Orlando seems to be better for its flurry of trades, with Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson providing Stan Van Gundy's team with the scoring punch it so desperately needed to compete in the conference.
And don't forget about Miami. The Heat are undoubtedly catching up the quickest, having pulled to within a game of Boston for the top seed in the East and playing as well as any team in basketball right now.
And by the looks of things, the combination of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will only get better as the season goes along and the three of them have more opportunities to gel.
Boston: The Aging Beast of the East
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The oft-overlooked point in all of that talk of Eastern Conference competition is that a significant regression in play may cost the Celtics home court advantage in the East.
Now, some will say that Boston didn't need home court against Orlando and Cleveland last year to make it back to the NBA Finals, and they would be right.
However, the C's competition is clearly very different this time around, as they'll have to compete with LeBron and the All-Stars instead of LeBron and the Nobodies, and a Magic team more reminiscent of the 2009 playoff edition than the crew the Celtics got by in the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals.
As such, having home court advantage will be that much more important for an old team that, like any, would be much better served playing at home than on the road.
Boston has already made that much clear this year, with a 13-1 mark at home against an 11-5 record on the road.
Thus, slipping in the standings may, in fact, be an issue for this year's squad.
What About the West?
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Again back to last season, the Celtics' lack of a home court didn't exactly cost them on their way to the Finals, but it may have played a part in the team's seven-game defeat to the Lakers once they made it out of the East.
With or without Kendrick Perkins, Boston would likely have been much better off in its pursuit of a win in Game 7 had that game been played at the TD Bank Garden, where the Celtics would have had the comfort of home, the support of the local crowd and the calls of easily-influenced NBA referees on their side.
Such an advantage is likely worth at least the four points Boston would have needed to send that game to overtime, as opposed to losing in regulation in gut-wrenching fashion.
And, judging by how the season has gone around the league thus far, it looks like the Celtics will have to deal with teams better than last year's Lakers, whether it be this year's Lakers, the Spurs or the Mavericks.
Message To C's: Don't Let a Short Absence Turn into a Long Lull
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So what does the loss of Kevin Garnett REALLY mean?
Well, not a whole lot, unless the Celtics allow the effect of his absence to snowball into some sort of downward trend through the rest of the regular season.
Boston has more than enough experience and talent overall to overcome such a temporary loss and ensure that any drop in play does not carry over once KG returns to the lineup.
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