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The Garnett effect
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Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
It took exactly 28 seconds of play in Memphis to see how different the Celtics are with Kevin Garnett.
A loose ball found its way into KG's hands, he fired an outlet pass past half court to Rondo, who then found Ray Allen streaking down the other end. Ray was fouled on the layup attempt, but it's an opportunity that was lacking without KG. Two minutes later, as Memphis was trying a break of its own, KG came out of nowhere to help Rajon Rondo by tossing a Mike Conley layup attempt into the main concourse. Two minutes after that, KG and Rondo hooked up for an alley oop play that we saw nearly every game this year... UNTIL Garnett's injury.
The Celtics without Garnett is like peanut butter without the jelly. Like macaroni without the cheese. Sure, a peanut butter sandwich or a bowl of plain macaroni will get the job done well enough, but it's just not the same. And sometimes, it's just boring.
But KG brings an element that no player in the NBA can. It's an infectious fire that raises the level of play of everyone around him, even if he's not on the court. His intensity radiates from the bench to everyone on the court. Guys move a little faster, rotate a little quicker, make passes that are a little crisper all so they don't have to endure the wrath of Garnett during a timeout. On the court, he's the guy that's always talking. Not just to opponents, but to his team. He's directing everyone on defense, making sure guys know what's coming and where the play is going.
If you could bottle Garnett's intensity, we could use it to power the world. There's a reason why he wasn't on the bench when he was hurt. Because you'd either have to strap him down to the seat, or risk him actually re-injuring himself when he bounces off the bench in reaction to something on the court. Now that he's back, even in limited minutes, we can use Garnett's intensity to power the Celtics through the playoffs. It's the ultimate intangible that, simply put, no other player has.
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