Categories

Archives

Good Morning!

SBG May 25, 2008, at 8:36 am Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired

Celtics win in Detroit.

Something to Chew On

SBG February 5, 2008, at 10:32 pm 25 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

I was reading Brit Robson's back columns on the Wolves tonight and I came across this from the Boston game last week.

Most Wolves fans are intimately familiar with the debate, which prompts eye-opening claims on both sides. Detractors like to say that Garnett is merely a great sidekick, that he needs a more dominant personality on the team in order to be truly effective, a Pippen to someone else's Jordan. Strib writer Jim Souhan and KFAN jock Dan Barreiro have both voiced this view, with Souhan recently dubbing Garnett the "world's greatest complementary player." By contrast, Celtics' color commentator Cedric Cornbread Maxwell was the latest to big-up Garnett by naming him the second best player in Celtics history, behind only Bill Russell and ahead of Larry Bird, among others. Maxwell didn't flinch from the predictable outcry, saying that KG's huge edge on defense tipped the scales in his favor.

Robson continues:

As one who is closer to Maxwell's view than Barreiro's and Souhan's--I have actually taken the Garnett position in KG vs. Bird debates, although I go back and forth on who I think is a better player--it was a sincere pleasure watching the greatest Timberwolf there likely will ever be in my lifetime going against the Timberwolves when it counts (meaning a non-exhibition game) for the first time in his career last night. And it was a curiously nostalgic feeling to be marveling in his myriad gifts on the court and then being compelled to remember again his "flaw of unselfishness" that is necessarily part and parcel of his many virtues.

[snip]

The faithful in Boston are generally smart hoops observers, and probably appreciated how Garnett's defense quieted Gomes in the first half (5 points and 2 rebouns for someone averaging 16 and 7 for the past few weeks) and helped quiet Jefferson in the second (6 points and 3 rebounds for the 20-12 Big Al; by contrast, Craig Smith had 4 points and a team-high 10 rebounds playing 13:22 of his 14:20 with KG on the bench). Even so, if you're a diehard Celtic fan, you're screaming for KG to get the ball and then do something with it in the direction of the hoop. You're like Doc Rivers, who went bananas on Tony Allen after Allen chose to drive the lane and *then* dish to KG, resulting in a three-second call (the first of Garnett's two turnovers) rather than immediately feeding an open KG on the low block. Allen, a third year pro currently averaging 6.0 ppg., had as many shots in the 4th quarter as Garnett took the entire game. The problem is that Doc had to speak for KG, who needed to pull a Keyshawn Johnson--as in "somebody get me the damn ball!"--long before then.

But then it's crunchtime and many of the attributes that make Garnett a player for the ages come to the fore. After staggering to the sidelines with an "abdominal strain" (replays seemed to indicate that Brewer inadvertantly punched him in the nuts trying to strip him on a drive to the hoop, creating a pain intense enough for Garnett to immediately drop the basketball, which was his second turnover), Garnett went to the dressing room for four minutes of play in the latter stages of the fourth quarter. His trainer advised him not to play again that night. But Garnett talked his way back into the lineup. Amazing ability to surmount all manner of injuries? Check. Which segues into the Celts' last basket: KG sets the pick that frees Ray Allen for an open layup which Allen promptly blows, but the Wolves are so concerned with Allen-Pierce-KG that Perkins has an easy weakside putback. Faithfully doing the little things that don't show up on the box score but help the team? Check. Which segues into the final play of the game. KG, the seven-footer, ranges out to the perimeter beyond the three point arc and uses what Flip Saunders calls his Inspector Gadget arms to steal the ball from Sebastian Telfair, diving on the floor with Telfair to push the ball ahead toward the other end of the court as the buzzer sounds, sealing Boston's one-point win. Freakish athletic versatility and extra hustle in service of defense? Check.

Which segues into something that is foreign territory for Wolves fans, even when KG was here. Team has a serious chance of contending for the NBA championship? Check.

Better than Bird. Second to Russell (who I think is KG's best historical comparable). Even if he doesn't take enough shots in the fourth quarter. And that's coming from Bird's waterboy.

Take Your Shot

SBG December 31, 2007, at 7:17 am 34 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

nba_a_garnett_260.jpg

It's been a while since we've heard any good KG's-not-that-good talk. Have at it.

Eff U, ESPN

SBG December 11, 2007, at 10:36 am 14 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

Link.

Rebuilding a Franchise

GreekHouse November 1, 2007, at 8:11 pm 37 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

I still remember when it hit me. I was sitting at my computer last season, looking at the Twolves payroll on hoopeshype.com and getting depressed over how terrible it looked. I had a revelation.  It was one of those moments of total clarity.  The Wolves will never win a championship with Garnett. It was a tough thing to accept and maybe that's why it took me so long. Once it happened, I was surprised it didn't occur to me sooner.

So why couldn't we win a championship with him? Simply put, the Wolves would never be able to get enough talent around him. They had a few good young players, but they were also laden with terrible contracts. Some of our young players could develop into potential all-stars, but it wasn't going to happen in time. Because of all the terrible contracts the Wolves had, there was really no hope of signing a good free agent either. By the time our young players were ready and we had some money for free agents, KG would be in the decline of his career. In the meantime, he will have wasted years of his prime on a team that never had a chance.

Once it became obvious that we couldn't win a championship with Garnett, there was only one thing we could do. We needed to trade him. Because he's one of the top players in the game we should be able to get a lot for him. The longer we wait, the less we'd be able to get. Plus, it would be in KG's best interests if we could move him to a contender. Although it might be a depressing though, it was the best option for both KG and the Timberwolves.


Click here to continue reading Rebuilding a Franchise...

KG

SBG October 10, 2007, at 8:20 pm 18 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

kg0001.jpgkg0002.jpgkg003.jpg

Man, that uniform just looks wrong.

New Look KG

GreekHouse October 8, 2007, at 1:33 pm 8 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

Get your first look at KG in his new Celtics uniform here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/trainingcamp07/news/story?id=3051778

As usual, KG destroys the opposition with 19 points and 16 rebounds while juggling 5 tennis balls and donating $3.6 million to charity. Immediately after the game, he ripped the game ball into 6 pieces with his bare hands and gave each piece to a different crippled child that was sitting courtside.

Cribs (SBG Nation Edition)

GreekHouse September 30, 2007, at 6:38 pm 9 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

I don't normally have special contacts of any kind, but today an inside source sent me some pictures of a Lake Minnetonka property that recently went on the market. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to post these pictures here, but I will give out as much information as I can.

This house is alleged to belong to a former Minnesotan who recently began work for a Boston company. The property extends south of the marker to include the tennis court and swimming pool. It also extends (I believe) across most of the peninsula. Here are some specs:

  • 12.9 acres on Lake Minnetonka
  • 32,000 Square Foot House
  • 10,000 Square Foot Guest House
  • 9 Bedrooms
  • 16 Bathrooms
  • 12-Car Garage
  • Indoor In Ground Swimming Pool
  • Outdoor In Ground Swimming Pool overlooking the lake
  • Asking Price: $53.5 million

I can tell you from the pictures I've seen that this puts Vinny Chase's House to shame. The landscaping is beautiful and the pool overlooking the lake is gorgeous.

My birthday is coming up in less than a month, so for those of you looking to get me something nice, this might be a good idea. In the meantime, I have put in a bid of $200 for it.

Goodbye, Big Fella

SBG July 31, 2007, at 1:26 pm 22 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

kevin_garnett_his_collar_4_blog_2.jpg

It should never have come to this.

ESPN: Glen Taylor Tells Garnett He’s Looking to Trade Him

SBG June 22, 2007, at 4:59 am 7 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

ESPN reports that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is preparing to trade Garnett.

It appears that Wolves management -- McHale and owner Glen Taylor -- is prepared for the first time to make a deal that would end the Garnett Era in Minneapolis after 12 seasons. Taylor, according to Wolves sources, has informed Garnett directly of that change in philosophy.

The article indicates that KG wants to go to Phoenix and has told Boston he won't play there. I don't know if a deal will get done, but it looks for the first time that the Wolves might make the deal.

Here's what I found interesting. Yesterday, Grandpa Sports "reported" the following:

Kevin McHale, the Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations, blames the media for starting rumors that Kevin Garnett is going to be traded.

"You always say, 'We'll see what happens,' but every year it's the same thing," McHale said. "Some guy in a blog writes something and then everybody runs with it. You guys are in the reaction business, to people who are just making things up, and it's just unbelievable."

With those words, McHale is denying reports that he has talked to the Celtics and the Suns about trading Garnett, despite what ESPN.com and other websites are saying.

Yeah, some guy in his mother's basement wrote that the Wolves were looking to move KG. We all know that Sid's mother died of old age in 1949, so Sid ain't writing out of her basement. So, good for you Sid, you got the story straight.

...

Except, here's Sid the very next day:

Taylor verified that Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge called Wolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale to find out if Garnett was available.

Never fear, though, KG's not going anywhere! Chad's Dad continues:

Taylor said he had no comment about a report on ESPN.com quoting Garnett's agent, Andy Miller, that Garnett wouldn't agree to go to Boston and that Garnett might name teams he would go to in two days.

If you listened to Taylor, you too would be convinced there is zero chance that Garnett will be traded.

Sorry, Hartman, I'm not believing anything Taylor says. But, you go ahead. I have to go. My mother wants me to come upstairs and take out the garbage. I'm thinking a copy of Sid's last two articles should be in there.

Update: And here's what Grandpa's paper said today:

As for Garnett, McHale did indicate a shift in attitude as far as his superstar's trade status.

"We've always talked," McHale said of conversations around the league. "The only difference is ... we've had three what I consider to be sub-par years. And you listen more. But that doesn't mean you do any more.

If Only He Were Torii Hunter

SBG February 7, 2007, at 4:49 pm 7 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

Top Jimmy:

McHale's willingness to fire coaches when players mutiny and Garnett's unwillingness to publicly reprimand recalcitrant teammates leave Wittman on globally warmed ice.

This article is about Mr. Ricky Davis, the under-achieving headache that is just one of a myriad of problems at 600 First Avenue North. Davis has been a problem everywhere he's been. Why, though, Top Jimmy thinks that Garnett's lack of a public smackdown of Davis leaves Wittman on thin ice is beyond me. Does Top Jimmy know something about where KG stands? Is KG, in private, taking Ricky Davis's side? If so, why not say it? If not, why is a public airing of dirty laundry required? If KG is showing a good face in public and supporting the coach behind the scenes, I'm good with that. I don't hear KG undercutting the coach. Do you? Cause if he's not undercutting the coach, it hardly seems fair to say that he's left Wittman on thin ice.

I'd much rather have the coach make statements about players, anyway. It shows a respect for the coach to defer such matters to him, in my opinion. Mr. Hunter's 2005 comments about Morneau and Mauer didn't seem to do anything but contribute to the malaise that was that forgettable season. If Ron Gardenhire's Come-To-Jesus meeting with Justin Morneau really did do the trick in 2006, I will say this: it wasn't accompanied (thankfully) by a calling out by Torii Hunter. The manager did his job. And here, the job is to be done by Mr. Randy Wittman. In this case, I say good luck, brother.

Top Jimmy's right about one thing, though. This mess ain't Wittman's fault. And it sure wasn't Dwane Casey's fault.

We Should All Decline Like This

SBG January 28, 2007, at 8:18 pm 4 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

I was reading an article on SI.COM on the Dwane Casey firing. I should stop right there and say that SI used to be the preeminent sports magazine in the country. I suppose that is still a true statement. But, it's clear that SI is not even close to the preeminent source for sports information and analysis. They are the proverbial also-ran.

Anyway, I read this quote:

Here is what Casey had to deal with when he showed up for work every day:

• An occasionally cantankerous superstar, Kevin Garnett, who slowly has begun to deteriorate both physically and in terms of his skills. That's not to say Garnett isn't still playing at a high level; he's just no longer playing at an MVP level.

Is KG cantankerous? I don't know about that. Maybe behind the scenes he's crabby. Hard to say.

Is he deteriorating? Both physically and in terms of his skills? Is there a difference? Aren't those skills physical?

Anyway, KG's scoring, assists, and block shots are up over last year. His rebound totals are almost identical. His steals are almost identical. He's getting to the free throw line at a career high rate. He's shooting a career best percentage from the line. His shooting percentage is down, but his number of shots are up.

I think KG has been hampered by a bad knee the last two years and it shows most dramatically in his shot blocking. This year, he's up a half block shot a game -- a pretty significant increase. Other than his MVP year, only his second year had KG blocking shots at a higher rate.

KG's PER is third in the league, behind only Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitski. I think it's safe to say that KG is just as or more valuable than 99% of the players in the league. KG has been more active than last year and it shows up in the numbers. His decline is so imperceptible as to be almost completely non-existent.

Update:  I should finish my thought here.   There are a lot of things that you could say contributed to Dwane Casey's firing beyond Mr. Casey's control.  The play of KG, listed first on this list, is about 945,839th on my list.

Tough Loss (of Control)

SBG January 20, 2007, at 8:01 am 9 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

The Wolves lost at home in double overtime to the Pistons on Friday night. It was a game that they should never have lost.

KG had another poor shooting night and scored just 14 points before he was ejected with just over five minutes remaining in the game. The Big Ticket had 19 rebounds, though, and was playing extremely hard before he snapped over a pretty small deal. Antonio McDyess shoved Mark Madsen and was about to get a technical when KG, who had the ball in his hands, shoved McDyess from behind. McDyess wheeled around and shoved KG back. KG then threw the ball at McDyess from about a foot away and lobbed a swing toward McDyess without hitting him. Then he put his hands up in a sort of boxing posing and backed away. KG's response was way out of line and he was rightfully tossed. The Strib says a suspension is "probable". I don't know what the hell he was thinking.

The game was tied at that point and it would be tied at the end of overtime and double overtime. Mike James hit a prayer three pointer after stepping out of bounds with 13 seconds left in the first overtime that looked to be a game winner. The Pistons got a layup and Randy Foye made a pair of free throws before Chauncey Billups nailed a cold blooded three to tie the game with three seconds left and send it to double overtime.

The Pistons pulled away in the second overtime and won by six.

The loss of KG showed exactly how thin the T-Wolves front line is. Mark Madsen played 25 minutes and was his usual hyper self. Someone actually threw him the ball on a post up and he promptly lost his balance and fell over. Three more years left on his deal. Sigh.

Mark Blount had another terrific game, leading the Wolves with 22 points and snatching 15 rebounds.

But, the Wolves win this game if KG doesn't lose his cool. KG was dominating this game despite the poor shooting. His passing was terrific, he was defending and he owned the glass. Bill Russell, who was in attendance last night, must have been proud. Right up to the point where he lost his cool, that is.

I watched most of the game, but I did not see that Ricky Davis left the floor in the third quarter, pouting because he was taken out of the game. I was wondering why we were seeing the lineup that we saw at the end. Justin Reed apparently went and got Davis back on the bench, but he didn't play the rest of the way. Man, this was a game that the Wolves should have had. But, KG and Davis lost control.

KG 10,000

SBG January 13, 2007, at 11:08 pm 9 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

Kevin Garnett got his 10,000th rebound on Saturday night as the Wolves won for the ninth time in 12 games, 109-98 over New Jersey. The Wolves outscored the Nets 37-21 in the fourth quarter. KG had 12 of those points.

KG tallied 32 points and 14 rebounds on the night to go along with four assists and two blocks. KG took 19 shots, making ten of them and made all eleven of his foul shots. His 14 rebounds included five offensive boards. It was another very good night in what has been, to date, an excellent season for the Big Ticket. KG has been absolutely wonderful all season. It seems that this team is better equipped than last year's to ride his talents.

For one thing, the ball is going through KG more often. His usage rate is up, which is always a good thing. He's also had a good rapport with Mark Blount.

Ten thousand rebounds is a big number. KG is the 32nd player to get there. I would expect that he'll add at least 5,000 to 8,000 more.

Congratulations, Big Ticket.

Me Likey

SBG January 6, 2007, at 9:51 am 2 LTEs - (Sorry, but the time to add LTEs has expired)

Kevin Garnett hit a shot at the buzzer in overtime to lead the Wolves to a 104-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. After starting slow (no points in the first quarter), the Big Ticket warmed up and produced the typical line: 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists.

If you have been watching, KG looks to be playing much more inspired basketball than he did last year. He has a lot of energy and he's much more involved. He had 23 shots last night and although he didn't shot particularly well (10-23), I'm glad he kept shooting after a poor start. Last year, KG averaged 15.7 shots a game. So far this year, his average is 17.1 shots a game. That's better than in 04-05, too, but down from his career high of 19.6 shots a game in his MVP year. The funny thing about KG is that the better his teammates are, the more he asserts himself. Or so it seems. Actually, the better his teammates are, the fewer doubles he sees and the more teams have to play him honest. He also has a very high assist rate for a big guy and is a fantastic defender.

KG truly is the best teammate in the league.

KG's usage rate is up about 2% this year, which is good. I noticed that Ricky Davis's usage is down about the same. That little adjustment is a big deal. More KG, less Ricky. Good plan.

There's a lot of other good things in last night's game besides KG's routine brilliance. Randy Foye got thirty minutes and got his first double-double of the season, accumulating 11 points and 10 assists. Foye is a shoot first kind of guy, but if he adds passing to his game, he's going to be the kind of player that the Wolves desperately need to bring out the greatness of KG. Foye's PER is at 14.54 (15.00 is league average) and his recent play has been pushing that number up. That's a pretty good number for a rookie (compare to Adam Morrison's 8.14). I like Foye and he looks like he could be the best player in a weak draft.

Mark Blount added another fine game with 16 points and 10 rebounds (three double-doubles on the team last night). Blount commands a huge salary ($7+ million, second highest on the team), but he's also the best center in team history. He played a great game against Tim Duncan this week on both ends of the court. Blount has flourished this year (relatively speaking) and seems to play well with KG.

In this era of reduced expectations, I am happy with these guys. I mean after all, it was a home win against the putrid 76ers last night that I'm celebrating. I'm also happy that Dwane Casey has put the ball in Foye's hands (Mike James had 23 minutes -- Foye 30 minutes last night). The only way this team improves with KG on the roster is through Foye's development. That's it. And it seems that Casey, who may or may not be coaching this team next month (who knows?) has done the right thing by getting the kid in the mix.

 
  Older Entries »