KG Update from Bill Simmons

[crownsy]

Simmons can get David Stern on his podcasts....he's got sources within the league.  It strikes me that someone in the league must be saying this. Otherwise he wouldn't be talking about it.

If you're in his position with ESPN, you need to be very careful about what you throw out there because it's all 'on the record'.

This isn't some wacko blogger (not you guys!) tossing tons of crap out there hoping some of it sticks.  There at least have to be whispers about this around the NBA.

Otherwise Simmons would be taking a very unnecessary risk with his career.

You really think its his "excellent league sources" that get him NBA guests or the fact that his employer has access to anyone in the NBA it wants at anytime for publicity purposes?

I'm not saying Bill doesn't know people in the NBA, but i think the NBA and ESPN's multimillion dollar interest in each other might be somewhat of a factor when it comes time to book guests for his ESPN podcast.

Bill doesn't know anything more than we do. He knows KG was hurt, and coming back from a knee injury is always touch and go, and we'll have to wait awhile to see where he is. end of story.

And to be fair, outside of these staples, which i've never heard of before, thats all he said.

[newdusk]

I think the big point that Simmons is making is that the KG story has not been covered enough. I guess now some of the questions have been asked and answered. I can remember Perk having plantar fasciitis and the Celtics saying he'll be back in 2 weeks. It turned out that injury and diagnosis requires a lot more then being off your feet for 2 weeks.

Do I really care if KG is not ready for the season opener? Not really and I don't think the fans would care if he missed half or 3/4ths of the season if that guarantee his health through the playoffs. The issue is why the lack of discretion?

[gustusias]

Simmons has sources. How good are they? I have no idea. Really! But, he is a darned good sports writer. Excellent, in fact. He is literally very intelligent and quite original. He has been caught way off base several times, but give him credit for thinking about things more than the average sports person. He was the one that came up with the idea that PauL Gaston was going to sell the C's when Vin Baker was brought here. Couldn't believe it at the time (no one did) but he was right on the money. This staple rumor? We will see and, heh, aren't we all holding our breath annyways?

[JS33]

Bill Simmons is about as much of an insider as Gary Tanguay's gut.  He has had a couple tidbits, but he is nowhere near as connected as the real NBA guys.  The only thing he has ever broken is the Payton deal.  And besides, all he is doing is quoting Carroll, who I don't buy for a second.

Actually Eric Pincus from Hoopsworld broke the Payton deal . Simmons took credit for it and was later ridiculed over it by the Boston Media .

Doc and Danny are saying KG will be okay . I'll believe them over Simmons .

[clover]

Am I forgetting something, or are the Patriots known for clamming up tight about injuries--not fibbing, whereas the Celtics brass actually bragged last year about actually lying re: Garnett's health?

[fairweatherfan]

Simmons is a fan who write a column, not an insider, not a doctor.

False.  Bill Simmons is definitely an insider.  Unquestionably.  Does that mean he is never guilty of pure speculation?  No it doesn't.  But one cannot deny the fact that he is absolutely an insider.

This is what ticks me off about Simmons - he does have some legit NBA connections, but actual insider info, half-baked rumors, and pure conjecture are all reported with the same tone of certainty.  Makes it very difficult to have any idea which items have some truth to 'em.  But I'd say any resemblance between this stuff and reality is purely coincidental.

[Kuberski33]

You really think its his "excellent league sources" that get him NBA guests or the fact that his employer has access to anyone in the NBA it wants at anytime for publicity purposes?

I'm not saying Bill doesn't know people in the NBA, but i think the NBA and ESPN's multimillion dollar interest in each other might be somewhat of a factor when it comes time to book guests for his ESPN podcast.

Bill doesn't know anything more than we do. He knows KG was hurt, and coming back from a knee injury is always touch and go, and we'll have to wait awhile to see where he is. end of story.

And to be fair, outside of these staples, which i've never heard of before, thats all he said.

I think he's got a certain amount of credibility that has been built up over time to the point where Stern & co care what he thinks -- because he can influence public opinion with what he writes.  He's also one of the media's biggest boosters of the NBA.

And again, whether he's on to something here or not, I just think the fact that he's throwing it out there is happening because someone within league circles is talking about it.

Keep in mind he's not accusing the Celtics of anything necessarily -- he's just speculating that KG's injury may be a lot more serious than has been previously reported.  But he's got to be hearing from somewhere within the league.  

I believe he's pretty tight for example with at least couple of NBA GM's.

[Celtics17]

I still say that if the injury to KG's knee was originally thought to be severe then he would have had surgery right away so he could heal quicker for this year. Then, if it looked as though he might not heal as planned there would be more time to look for another PF to help replace him until he got better. Instead, the team kept KG away from surgery until the summer. That would indicate to me that the injury wasnt that bad.

[RAcker]

If we have been misled about KG, I will be bringing in Mike Tyson to eat people's children.  Okay then.