The KG Post

(I'm a day late in posting this. I was busy when I found out about KG's injury, despondent when I became less busy, and into my third hour at a bar in Santa Monica when I became less despondent.)

Last June 5, I stood in relative silence in Section 327 of the TD Banknorth Boston Garden. It was the third quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and moments earlier, Paul Pierce had been carried off the court with an apparent knee injury. I turned to my friend standing next to me and asked, even though I already knew the answer, "We can't win without him, can we?" -- meaning the series, not necessarily the game. My friend just shook his head. Seconds later, I received a text message from another friend, this one watching at home, with information from the telecast we couldn't get in person: "Pierce in wheelchair in tunnel." I held my phone out so that my buddies in attendance could read the bad news, then snapped it shut.

My mood was, essentially, disbelief. I remember thinking, though I can't recall if I said it out loud, "I can't believe we came this far only to have this happen." I have only spotty recollection of the 1980s championship teams, and the franchise had what could be most charitably described as intermittent success during my formative years as a basketball fan. This was supposed to be a different year thanks to the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, a chain of events set off by the Celtics getting "unlucky" in the draft lottery that was supposed to land them Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. From that moment, Boston had traded for a couple of All-Stars just starting to lose their footing at the peak of their careers, mortgaging the future for a three-year window to get get as many rings as possible.

Four wins away from that first ring, and Pierce goes down.

Of course, that story had a happy ending. Pierce came back just a few minutes later, hit two big three-pointers, and Boston won that game and the series in six.

I bring this up because, if not for last year, that's the feeling I would have had when I woke up Thursday morning and saw the news of Garnett's injury in my inbox. It still stings a lot to know that our title defense is basically over, but it's a little bit easier because of the championship banner hanging in the rafters from last year.

And yes, I said that our title defense is over. I'm going to say this once, then get into rah-rah mode for the rest of the playoffs and try to find a reason why I'm wrong. Here it is, though: Absent injuries to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, we have no chance of beating Cleveland or Los Angeles in a seven-game series without Kevin Garnett. None.

I'm disappointed, but I don't feel blindsided. I've hinted here that I was worried about Garnett's knee, and I think deep down I was more worried than I let on, that I knew this was a real possibility even if I wouldn't admit it to myself. It was just too weird, the way KG sat and then came back briefly, then sat again. Doc Rivers used the phrase "shut down" in announcing that Garnett wouldn't play for a while, and while it may have been poor word choice, it may have been a little bit of the truth leaking out. Then came the announcement that Garnett would practice this past Monday, not play Tuesday against Philadelphia, but play the season finale on Wednesday against Washington, followed quickly by another story that said he wouldn't play in either game.

I actually noticed something during the Philly game that maybe hinted at this. During the TNT broadcast, they showed Pierce ripping into the reserves for lack of focus and lackluster play, a role filled by Garnett since his arrival in Boston. It's not really in Pierce's nature to do that -- though it's more his nature than it is Ray Allen's -- but he did it, even in a game that was essentially meaningless for the team.

I haven't had a chance to read all the stories, so I can't say for sure, but I haven't heard anything that suggests the players had known about this and kept quiet. It's certainly possible, though. It also could be that Garnett had confided in Pierce that his recovery wasn't going smoothly. Or maybe Pierce just had a hunch.

Either way, if the Celtics are going to win the title, they'll almost certainly have to do it without Garnett. (It's theoretically possible that he could come back. Information from the team about the injury has been scarce throughout this ordeal, and the current report is that he's actually suffering from two injuries: a bone spur that will be likely be surgically removed in the offseason; and a strained tendon that will only heal with rest. Rivers says it's the tendon that's keeping Garnett out, so if that heals, he could come back -- though Rivers was quick to caution that KG's return this season is unlikely). Boston should still be able to handle Chicago in the first round without too much difficulty, and I still think they can squeeze by Orlando in the second round if it comes to that, no surprise given I've been down on the Magic all year. (ESPN's John Hollinger's statistical analysis agrees with these prospects.)

Ironically for a team that finds itself very thin heading into a grueling postseason that potentially will last about two months, it may be that the longer their playoff series', the better. More games means more time for KG to get healthy, or healthyish, which is the only shot at a repeat.

The playoffs start tomorrow, at 12:30 Eastern on ESPN, with Game 1 against Chicago in Boston.

RwH extends our best wishes to Celtics GM Danny Ainge, who suffered a mild heart attack on Thursday. Reports are that Ainge should be fine, though he'll miss at least the first and probably the second game of the Chicago series. Thank goodness. Get well soon, Danny.