Kevin Garnett Needs To Stop Channeling Dennis Rodman

I've always had the utmost respect for Kevin Garnett becuase he played the game the right way. He came out everynight playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves and now the Boston Celtics. 

Last year it was nice to see Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce win the NBA Championship over the Lakers because for the life of me I can't stand Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, and Derek Fisher.

The three of Garnett, Allen, and Pierce have all played on bad teams, but never caused trouble and none of them really complained to the media about wanting out. 

This year though I'm beginning to lose respect for Kevin Garnett. His taunting of Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors seemed harmless enough, but after watching the game last night against the Warriors and the cheap shot he took against Marco Belinelli in the waning seconds of the game was the last straw. 

Looking back on the Calderon incident now it's not something that you would expect to see out of Kevin Garnett. It is more of something you would have seen from Dennis Rodman and for Garnett being like Rodman is not a good thing. 

The play with Belinelli was on a screen set by Garnett as Belinelli was chasing Eddie House across the floor. Garnett goes to set the screen, but instead of just setting a screen he throws his forearm out hitting Belinelli in the stomach. That leads to a wide open three pointer for House who of course knocked it down. 

If Garnett had set a good hard screen on Belinelli then it would have been fine and life goes on. It's the fact that it wasn't even a legal screen and a cheapshot on Belinelli is what's frustrating. Garnett didn't have to do that, but he did anyways and even after the next possession he starts jawing at Belinelli for no reason. 

It may have been the fact that Garnett was just frustrated that the Warriors were going to win this game. Maybe it's the fact that Belinelli was able to draw three offensive fouls on Ray Allen. Who really knows? It just begs the question of what does Garnett have against European players this year?