Jackie Mac: "KG, a 36-year-old toothpick with bone spurs in his foot"

[PhoSita]

Is this yet another example of Jackie burying an inside scoop within one of her stories, or is this old news?  I don't remember anybody from the organization actually acknowledging that KG's foot issues were due to bone spurs, though it sounded a lot like that.

I'm pretty sure it's old news.  In early April, Doc indicated:

Honestly, he’s fine,” Rivers said. “It’s a bone something, a bone spur that just needs to relax and calm down. I think that’s what it is. It’s his ankle. If we were in the playoffs tonight, Kevin would absolutely be playing.

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/9119438/paul-pierce-not-taking-rest-boston-celtics-losses-easy

Yeah, I remember that.  The team just never came out and actually said that's what it was.  Just another case of the team being as mum as possible about a pretty significant injury to one of the team's main guys.

[Neurotic Guy]

I like Jackie and she's been very positive about KG as a player in the past (can't cite an article but have heard her talk of him with great admiration on the radio).

I can't see KG retiring.  Let's face it, he's only 36.  That's right -- only.  That's a young man in any other context.  He (I assume) has a 36-year old mind and it's hard to give up something you love doing if you 1) don't have to, 2) are still pretty good at it, and 3) are going to make $12M.  Look, if he's in agony and looking ahead with dread of future pain, then it's a different story.  But, if he's poised to have another minute-managed year with Doc and Paul and Rondo, why not?

I cannot picture the C's being a better team without KG or Pierce next year.  Yes -- they both need to be more role players than stars, but take them off this team and the hole(s) is unfillable -- at least for a while.

[slamtheking]

Torn between wanting KG to retire after this year which would most likely drop us into the lottery next year to get a really good cornerstone player
OR
have him come back with Rondo and Sully healed and take another shot at it.  if he comes back, it's imperative that Danny clear the deadwood on this team to bring in some players that will actually perform. 

That's much easier said than done but those are the 2 best options.  KG coming back to play with this same group will undoubtedly make the playoffs but they won't get far even with Rondo and Sully added.  I just don't see JET, Lee, Bradley, Crawford and Bass as taking their games to the next level that will make them contenders.

[nickagneta]

This whole season hinged on health. the older players staying healthy and performing. The younger players staying healthy and developing. The unhealthy players getting healthy and eventually contributing.

KG didn't stay healthy.
Rondo didn't stay healthy
Sullinger didn't stay healthy.
Bass, Terry, Lee probably underperformed
Green, Wilcox, Pierce, Bradley did what they were supposed to do.

It has been a tough year.

But KG signed a two year deal and I feel he honors it. Pierce is faltering but he stayed healthy and is still a top SF in this league. I say they return. And if they do, the C's will do what they can to add to this team for one last shot.

That probably means trades of players where we have an excess of talent, the wing area. So I expect a couple of those players and maybe Bass gone and a big that can rebound and score in the post coming back our way and the Celtics trying it again next year.

Then they clean the slate and rebuild with whatever young players they feel they want.

[KGs Knee]

I was under the impression the bone spurs was already known.  Jackie Mac isn't really reporting anything new here.

IMO, she's still the most connected reporter in Boston.  The  beat writer's have nothing on her.  As for her analytic abilities, I think she's gone the way of Bob Ryan; dodo bird.

[pearljammer10]

Imagine is we were getting Tim Duncans production out of Garnett this year. Unfortunately we have the wrong 37 year old.

[Kane3387]

This whole season hinged on health. the older players staying healthy and performing. The younger players staying healthy and developing. The unhealthy players getting healthy and eventually contributing.

KG did stay healthy.
Rondo didn't stay healthy
Sullinger didn't stay healthy.
Bass, Terry, Lee probably underperformed
Green, Wilcox, Pierce, Bradley did what they were supposed to do.

It has been a tough year.

But KG signed a two year deal and I feel he honors it. Pierce is faltering but he stayed healthy and is still a top SF in this league. I say they return. And if they do, the C's will do what they can to add to this team for one last shot.

That probably means trades of players where we have an excess of talent, the wing area. So I expect a couple of those players and maybe Bass gone and a big that can rebound and score in the post coming back our way and the Celtics trying it again next year.

Then they clean the slate and rebuild with whatever young players they feel they want.

Agreed. For all anyone wants to say KG played at an All-Star Level  for his minutes played. Other then Lopez he performed as well as Bosh, Noah, Chandler, and any other All-Star big. Actually Lopez was just better offensively. KG kills him defensively.

The Rondo injury might be a blessing in disguise for next year. We saw a more efficient style of play  with him out. We obviously need him to win it all. He's our best player, but we don't need him to be so ball dominant.

Sullinger will be back and better. Rondo will be back. Green will be better. Bradley will be better. I think KG and Pierce play their last years next year because they don't want to go out like this.

Also hopefully the 16th pick can play or be used as an asset in a trade. Hopefully Fab can provide some help.

Maybe you can package 16, the non-guaranteed deals of Randolph, White, and Williams, AND 1-2 of the 3 of Bass, Terry, or Lee for a player who can really help.

I am not sold that KG retires this year. However if he does then I think Pierce will be moved.

[KGs Knee]

I am not sold that KG retires this year. However if he does then I think Pierce will be moved.

While I can honestly say I have no idea what KG is thinking, and doubt he has seriously thought about it yet himself, it's my gut instinct he will come back for one last hurrah.

If KG were to retire, however, I'm hoping he does the team a 'solid' and allows Ainge to trade him as an expiring contract to aid us in acquiring a replacement big.  It's probably a far fetched scenario, but it is possible (within the rules of the CBA).  Whether we use his salary to acquire a one year stop-gap replacement, or a player for the future via S&T, would depend on what the plan for Pierce is.

I wouldn't mind seeing us trade for Josh Smith, to play along side of Green and Pierce.  Maybe we could even have Pierce as our sixth-man in that scenario.  A small-ball line-up of Smith/Green/Pierce could be interesting.

Ideally, I still am hoping KG returns and we somehow find a way to acquire a stop-gap big (on an expiring contract) to complement KG.  Hopefully this can be done without having to part ways with either of Green or Pierce, but would be wiling to move Green for a better long-term solution.

[thirstyboots18]

Jackie M.  may or may not be right, but in my memory she has indulged in a little speculation and prejudgement before.  Personally, I would never take her reporting as gospel.

I believe she has zero record of errant reporting, including on quotes and with one so readily confirm- or deniable as on this from Doc.  And it is simple observation that confirms KG is a toothpick.

All I am saying is that she did not list as source.  If she is basing this on something Doc Rivers said weeks ago, he has already admitted that he is not a real doctor.  A real doctor would not have leaked it because of patient's privacy laws.    Jackie M. is a good writer...but she is a reporter, and has dropped rumors (maybe founded, maybe not...but unproven) before. 

[Fred Roberts]

It should be noted that Jackie believed KG might retire last summer. She'll likely believe he'll retire next summer after he plays next year.

Sooner or later, she's gonna be right and he will retire.

[bfrombleacher]

It should be noted that Jackie believed KG might retire last summer. She'll likely believe he'll retire next summer after he plays next year.

Sooner or later, she's gonna be right and he will retire.

lol

Sooner or later.

Nice.

[ianboyextreme]

You folks never learn.

[Celtics4ever]

Who wants to leave as a Shadow of himself, I could see him playing one more year just to be on his terms.

[Boris Badenov]

Who wants to leave as a Shadow of himself, I could see him playing one more year just to be on his terms.

The problem is that a lot of guys who try that approach end up leaving as an even paler shadow.

This is what I predict:
1. We are .500 early next year because Rondo is still recovering;
2. Around Feb. 1, Rondo steps it up and we go on a tear - .750 ball for around 2 months, just getting everyone's hopes up;
3. KG suffers a major injury in early April, but the team maintains hope that he will be back by the playoffs;
4. We limp into the playoffs as a 7/8 seed again;
5. KG tries to play, but can't;
6. Another first round loss;
7. KG and Pierce retire.

[clover]

Jackie M.  may or may not be right, but in my memory she has indulged in a little speculation and prejudgement before.  Personally, I would never take her reporting as gospel.

I believe she has zero record of errant reporting, including on quotes and with one so readily confirm- or deniable as on this from Doc.  And it is simple observation that confirms KG is a toothpick.

All I am saying is that she did not list as source.  If she is basing this on something Doc Rivers said weeks ago, he has already admitted that he is not a real doctor.  A real doctor would not have leaked it because of patient's privacy laws.    Jackie M. is a good writer...but she is a reporter, and has dropped rumors (maybe founded, maybe not...but unproven) before.

Yes, she originally reported that Doc referred to KG's bone spurs when she was talking to him.  The news in this report is not only that a 'team source' confirmed that, but also that they are still bothering him.

You also don't need to speak directly to a real doctor: Doc understands the concept of bone spurs, although Jackie simply reported that Doc had brought them up.

Jackie does sometimes engage in speculation and is sometimes wrong, but I think she keeps straight what she is reporting and what she is guessing or surmising.

How many Boston sports reporters bothered to get this info--or even to get their own verification of it once Jackie reported it?