It’s been a really interesting season in the legacy of Kevin Garnett. Boston folks can’t stop talking about how much production he’s giving teams, how well he’s playing, how he’s been the best player on the team. The rest of us keep noticing that while his production is there and he’s still as crafty a defender as ever, able to knock down that mid-range jumper, there’s something missing from his jump, his speed, his overall ability due to age. There’s a slip there, and it’s slight, but it’s there.
But Boston loves what he’s doing so much, there’s no talk of moving on. Instead, Doc Rivers is already talking up bringing Garnett back this summer when he’s a free agent.But Garnett is a free agent after this season, and there’s no word yet on what his plans are for the future. One thing is clear though: if he wants to play, the Celtics want him playing in Boston.
“Oh yeah, absolutely. We want him back,” Rivers said. “I think it will come down to if he wants to play or not. But, you know, who knows? So many games and so many things can happen. Being around this as long as I have I know it is very emotional how the season ends. And a lot of players have made poor decisions on the end of a season, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
via Rivers: ‘We want [Garnett] back’.
Boston just doesn’t seem ready to move forward. Danny Ainge seems like he is, but he hasn’t actually made the move. He flipped Perkins, but when Jeff Green was lost to the heart condition, he doubled down on the core. He didn’t move Rondo or any of the Big 3 at the deadline. Is it possible that a late playoff run, possibly to the Eastern Conference Finals could convince Boston to make one more go with the old guys? They’re not under any duress to transition to the next stage as long as they’re competitive, and they’re still competitive enough. It seems like there’s a gap between them and the top teams in the league, but we thought the same thing in 2010.
Going to be a very interesting couple of months in Boston.
