KG Choked This Game Away

[hpantazo]

KG himself said he played like garbage last night and he will do better. I think he comes out huge tomorrow night, finally.

[Jon]

KG needs to go down low.  Now I get that his outside shot is an important part of his game.  He needs to it spread the floor to get Pierce the space he needs to penetrate.  Still, the Lakers have no answer for him down low.  He needs to exploit that and get Gasol in foul trouble.  If he does that, the C's win game 6 no problem. 

[Vermont Green]

I think reality is sprinked here and there in this thread.  There is no doubt that it was much tougher on KG without Perk in there.  Even if you never played real basketball, you should be able to believe that.  There is also no doubt that KG committed dumb fouls and missed some key FT.  These next 1 or (heaven forbid) 2 games are going to say a lot about what KG is really made of.

In game 5 he rebounded quite well really.  The Lakers knew they had an opening with no Perk and they were crashing hard.  You could blame the fouls for lack of rhythm as the reason (excuse?) for the poor offense but KG should be able to give the team more.

I am not giving up on KG though (wasn't Pierce 2-12 in game 2?).  I think he will be big when we need him (like he has been all year for the most part) in game 6.

[Vermont Green]

  Aside from the fact that Rondo will be better next year, he was playing much better before he sprained his ankle. I don't pay too much attention to van Gundy or Jackson, but what were they saying about Rondo's shooting killing the Celts during game 2 when he was 1-4 with 16 assists?

Don't forget that it was about that time that the Lakers switched and put Kobe on Rondo.  I don't think the ankle is a big issue.  He still seems to be getting steals and rebounds.

[Frontierboy]

This series would have ended in a sweep if KG was replaced with Olajuwon. Hakeem would have tore their interior defense apart.

Yes! Finally, an Olajuwon fan (or just speaking the truth)!

That's why I'd attached the youtube clip.

The truth is that Hakeem's primary perimeter defensive sidekick for the Rockets was Maxwell more than either Thorpe, Drexler, or Horry, though I have nothing against those fine players.

If we had Olajuwon instead place of KG, neither Ilgauskas, Wallace, Odom, or Gasol would have had much of a playoff series. Heck, HO gave McHale, Parish, Robinson, Ewing, and Shaq, all HOF big guys, a hard time, nevermind the aforementioned above-average big men.

It would effectively had made the series, Kobe/Fisher vs the Celtics, in other words, a four game sweep with 50-60 points per contest between HO-PP. I don't see a double team of Gasol and Odom being able to contain the Dream Shake since Mason-Ewing couldn't do it.

But he would have gotten dunked on my Farmar ( like Kevin Johnson's before he molested middle school girls )

[bbc3341]

I think we're heaping on KG hopes that aren't realistic. His value is in certain specific areas and low post dominance is not one of them, it never has been. We haven't had a low post offensive player on that level since McHale. The good part is that KG is dominant on the defensive end, all over it. He is dominant in effort and the little things on defense and offense, setting picks, not missing assignments, getting loose balls etc. And he's at the All-Star level in the mid-post/extended offensive game, as well as a consistent 15-20 ft. jumper. We just need him to be him in game 6. 18 pts. 12 rbs. 5 asst... I kind of think he is trying too hard when he gets the ball, he needs to just play his game!

[jimmyt]

KG definitely missed key free throws down the stretch, and that is unnaceptable. But why are some people and columnists saying that Garnett's legacy is DEFINED by those missed free throws?

I'm not ready to jump on the "KG isn't clutch bandwagon" yet and I don't buy into Whitlocks article that KG has made his reputation even worse throughout these playoffs. KG hit ALOT of clutch shots for us in these playoffs and even though Pierce gets my MVP nomination for the playoffs, we still dont get this far without KG (or Al Jefferson in his place).

Basically I don't think you can blame wins on just one player just like I dont think you can blame losses on just one player. All year we have fought as a team. There wasnt one player who hogged the limelight. Our bench players stepped up when needed. We play team basketball. KG's role this season has not been the same as it ever has been... same with Pierce and Allen. It is one thing to say he shyed away from the ball on the T-Wolves when he definitely was the go-to guy, but it is another thing to say he shyed away on the Celtics, when there are so many options.

Sure, I'd like to see him absolutely take over a game, but thats just not the player he is... people need to accept that. He's not Kobe Bryant, he wont take 30 shots and score 40 points. He is one of the most consistent players in the league though. He might not dominate down low as much as people want but that hasent ever been the main focus of his game, plus he has one of the best 18-foot jumpers in the league. He puts more effort on defense then anyone I have ever seen play in my lifetime.

People are so quick to hate on him for not taking that one extra shot in the end of the game, but I'm not ready to.

He got into foul trouble early last game, which is no excuse for missing those free throws, but it is an excuse for not being able to play at the same intensity that hes used to be playing at.

This guy brought Defense to the Celtics. He got everyone to buy into it, including Pierce and Allen, who as of last year were not thought of as good defenders, especially Allen.

People who say that his legacy is tarnished by those missed free throws are ignorant in my opinion and haven't watched the Celtics all year.

Also, if Garnett goes off tomorrow on the Lakers, like I think he definitly can, those same people will be saying that tomorrows game defined his career.

[BballTim]

  Aside from the fact that Rondo will be better next year, he was playing much better before he sprained his ankle. I don't pay too much attention to van Gundy or Jackson, but what were they saying about Rondo's shooting killing the Celts during game 2 when he was 1-4 with 16 assists?

Don't forget that it was about that time that the Lakers switched and put Kobe on Rondo.  I don't think the ankle is a big issue.  He still seems to be getting steals and rebounds.

  He has a total of 1 steal and 5 rebounds in his last 3 games. The same kind of comments about him were all over these boards when he came back from the hamstring injury.