There was a lot of expected answers and cliches as usual on Media Day. But it was still good to finally get things off the ground with the rejuvenated Boston Celtics.
A recap:
1) First and foremost, Kevin Garnett played 5 on 5 yesterday and is ready to increase his practice routine. Though the injury was more serious than expected (bigger bone spurs than was thought) , it is taken care of. It seems that he will be ready for the preseason schedule and opening day.
Kevin Garnett
A few quotes first from, then about Kevin Garnett….
Yahoo.com…KG
“I’m excited, man. I’m excited,” he said.
When Garnett was able to join his teammates on the practice floor for an informal 5-on-5 game last week, he turned another corner.
“No setbacks,” he said of his work coming back, adding he was “almost 100 percent and going forward.”
“Better than anything, I’m playing without any pain, which is something that I haven’t had for quite some time now, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said.
Playing without pain and he says it hasn’t been that way for a while. Maybe that explains his playing outside the lane more in the beginning of the year last season.
Here is an eye opener from Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that suggests something similar. Steve was talking about Rasheed Wallace when this was mentioned about KG ….
The only question may be whether he’s willing and able to get inside on offense (something the Celts have begged Garnett to do, as well).
More on Garnett’s knee…
Danny Ainge from Toscano fron Celticsblog.com….
“He had one of those Hasheem Thabeet tape jobs on it. I never really understood what that was doing and I don’t know what it is, but it is some tape job, that is all I noticed.”
And this from Gary Felger of Comcast sports…..
I got a chance to talk exclusively with Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. KG told me that “the knee still gets sore” and that he is “working his way back into it”.
Ergo Ego
Steve Bulpett also mentioned an increased need by Doc Rivers to keep some mercurial egos focused on the prize….
…..more than at any other time in his tenure here, the coach needs to have a good year….
This year Doc has an excitable addition at forward, a point guard coming off a turbulent offseason of trade talk and contractual barbs and a rotation to rebuild beyond the first five.
Jimmy Toscano of Celtics Blog added this comment from Doc Rivers….
“Everybody is here for one purpose, and that is to win. And when you’re together that way, I don’t think egos are much of a problem. And if you’re not together in that way, then egos do become a problem.”
This is one of Doc’s strengths. But it will be pushed to new levels this season with a line up of extraordinarily strong personalities of extraordinarily high achieving players on one team.
Kevin Garnett made this observation in Yahoosports...
Said Garnett: “I think last year did one thing for us. If anything, it humbled us. It showed team is everything, not one or two players can get things done. I’m eager to see how we come in, our minds and how we all are, in camp.”
Will it be the return of ubuntu?
Tony Allen is Still Injured (Again)
Greg Dickerson of Comcast sports…..
Allen, entering his 6th season with Boston, had arthroscopic surgery on June 3rd with a torn tendon in his ankle. His status for the preseason is questionable.
Toscano of Celticsblog added this from Doc Rivers….
“[Tony's] health is an issue right now, and we’re not sure how much he is going to do in camp, so that is a concern and we will wait and see. Over the last couple weeks he wasn’t able to do a lot so we’ll see.”
Rajon Rondo concentrating on rings, not talk about contracts….
Toscano of Celticsblog….
“Hopefully I’ll get more contracts before I’m done playing, this one may be the biggest one I get, but I don’t think about it like that. The more wins I get I’m sure the more chances I have to play for a long time. I have the opportunity right now to get a couple rings while I’m still young…”
There is more. But that covers the highlights from Health Point Center. The team leaves for Newport Rhode Island where they will prepare for their pre-season games next.
Time to get down to work.
