Doc: KG looked 'phenomenal and explosive' in first practice.

[wdleehi]

I want to see a repeat of defensive player of the year myself.

[housecall]

 KG owe Pau one... a good game(butt kicking)everytime they meet this season,and yes its personal.

[lon3lytoaster]

I want to see a repeat of defensive player of the year myself.

I'd rather see Rondo get the award (if anyone on our team were to get it) KG's already done it all but I'm right there with you in hoping he will put up that sort of performance on the defensive end.

He does that and we're right back in the Finals, IMO.

[KobeGotRondoD]

I think EVERYone is overly optimistic about KG returning to his pre-injury form this year

Don't forget that the same season before he got injured his stats were WAY down from the championship season. At best he will perform the way he did in the playoffs. Which is better than during the regular season last year but definitely NOT pre-injury KG during the championship season/minnesota years. 

Age is the reason. As you get older after 32+ you don't all of a sudden change directions and get better.

[lon3lytoaster]

I think EVERYone is overly optimistic about KG returning to his pre-injury form this year

Don't forget that the same season before he got injured his stats were WAY down from the championship season. At best he will perform the way he did in the playoffs. Which is better than during the regular season last year but definitely NOT pre-injury KG during the championship season/minnesota years. 

Age is the reason. As you get older after 32+ you don't all of a sudden change directions and get better.

His numbers didn't get too much worse.. About 3 points and a rebound. You also have to factor in how he tried to play seven or so games (at limitied minutes) with that injury the same season. That probably effected his scoring numbers a hair, as well.

So while you're right in saying he probably won't be KG from 2004, I still say we can expect to see some improvement is his lateral movement and just in general for the upcoming season.

[JSD]

Really? I expected Doc would say  something like "KG is looking old and injury prone" and then talk about how the team won't do well this season.  

[GreenFaith1819]

Thanks for post, GE (TP).

As we all know, KG is the X-Factor for us, and this is just great news .

[guava_wrench]

Why doubt Doc's comment? KG never looked explosive last season. Now he does.

Keep in mind that this does not mean he will still be explosive in May and June. But it sounds like he looks better right now than he did at any point last season.

[ralph]

Im really skeptical, how many explosive 34 year olds do you guys know? this is just all talk. I hope it's true but Im not holding my breath.

[guava_wrench]

Im really skeptical, how many explosive 34 year olds do you guys know? this is just all talk. I hope it's true but Im not holding my breath.

Carl Lewis won an Olympic gold at age 35.

There are plenty of 34 year olds who can be explosive, so long as they get proper rest. NBA players don't get that. I'm skeptical that he can maintain the explosiveness, but I see no reason why he shouldn't be so after his summer break.

[drza44]

Im really skeptical, how many explosive 34 year olds do you guys know? this is just all talk. I hope it's true but Im not holding my breath.

Carl Lewis won an Olympic gold at age 35.

There are plenty of 34 year olds who can be explosive, so long as they get proper rest. NBA players don't get that. I'm skeptical that he can maintain the explosiveness, but I see no reason why he shouldn't be so after his summer break.

Karl Malone also won his first career MVP award at age 34, and his second at age 36 2 years later (during the same period that Jordan won his 4th and 5th MVPs at age 33 and 35).
Five years ago Shaq was runner-up in the MVP vote at age 33.  Nash was an MVP candidate well into his 30s.  Kareem won his last MVP at age 33, and was Finals MVP at age 38.

Seriously.  Mid-30s isn't a death knell for NBA players, provided they can stay healthy.  That is the big question for KG this year.  If the knee is good and nothing else breaks he should be in for a very good year.

[indeedproceed]

Im really skeptical, how many explosive 34 year olds do you guys know? this is just all talk. I hope it's true but Im not holding my breath.

Carl Lewis won an Olympic gold at age 35.

There are plenty of 34 year olds who can be explosive, so long as they get proper rest. NBA players don't get that. I'm skeptical that he can maintain the explosiveness, but I see no reason why he shouldn't be so after his summer break.

Karl Malone also won his first career MVP award at age 34, and his second at age 36 2 years later (during the same period that Jordan won his 4th and 5th MVPs at age 33 and 35).
Five years ago Shaq was runner-up in the MVP vote at age 33.  Nash was an MVP candidate well into his 30s.  Kareem won his last MVP at age 33, and was Finals MVP at age 38.

Seriously.  Mid-30s isn't a death knell for NBA players, provided they can stay healthy.  That is the big question for KG this year.  If the knee is good and nothing else breaks he should be in for a very good year.

Karl Malone regular season games missed between 85-86 and 02-03: 10.

He missed 10 of 1444 possible regular season games before he got hurt with the Lakers. He's not really in the KG conversation to me..Malone was a physical anomaly.

[drza44]

Im really skeptical, how many explosive 34 year olds do you guys know? this is just all talk. I hope it's true but Im not holding my breath.

Carl Lewis won an Olympic gold at age 35.

There are plenty of 34 year olds who can be explosive, so long as they get proper rest. NBA players don't get that. I'm skeptical that he can maintain the explosiveness, but I see no reason why he shouldn't be so after his summer break.

Karl Malone also won his first career MVP award at age 34, and his second at age 36 2 years later (during the same period that Jordan won his 4th and 5th MVPs at age 33 and 35).
Five years ago Shaq was runner-up in the MVP vote at age 33.  Nash was an MVP candidate well into his 30s.  Kareem won his last MVP at age 33, and was Finals MVP at age 38.

Seriously.  Mid-30s isn't a death knell for NBA players, provided they can stay healthy.  That is the big question for KG this year.  If the knee is good and nothing else breaks he should be in for a very good year.

Karl Malone regular season games missed between 85-86 and 02-03: 10.

He missed 10 of 1444 possible regular season games before he got hurt with the Lakers. He's not really in the KG conversation to me..Malone was a physical anomaly.

Conversely, Shaq missed 15 games for 3 straight years before his MVP runner-up finish.  Either way, KG is neither Shaq nor is he Malone.  The point I was making was that age 34 isn't a sentence to be mediocre that many make it out to be. 

I already expected KG to have a big bounce-back year, and hearing Doc and his teammates saying that he indeed looks especially bouncy just makes me more confident of it.  :Shrugs: In the end, I guess we'll all just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best as we watch it play out.

[LarBrd33]

KG is just about washed up

[lon3lytoaster]

KG is just about washed up

Thank god.. He's been in the shower forever. Dude needs to learn to save some for the fishes.