Feb 19, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett (5) warming up before the first half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 97-90. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Garnett sat out Saturday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies due to an apparent foot injury which has gotten all of Boston very concerned. In 2009 Garnett was shut down with a knee injury that occurred against the Utah Jazz on an alley-oop attempt. It wasn’t until the playoffs that the team publicly released that his season was over. With this most recent foot injury, Celtics fans still aren’t getting a clear picture as to what his injury actually is. All we know right now is that its’ a foot injury and he could be out for two weeks.
This is what Danny Ainge had to say –
"“I’ll guess 2 weeks, just because we want to make sure he’s really ready. I think it happened in New Orleans game, it was just sore — just inflammation. A lot of things can cause inflammation; I think everyone has a little bit of inflammation this time of year. KG, we need to get him fresh anyway.”"
But Doc Rivers has a different timetable. At the Celtics Practice Facility, Rivers said that Garnett could miss four to five games. There is a major difference between Ainge and Rivers’ comments. Five games is about a week and would likely return on April 1st against the Minnesota Timberwolves. If Ainge is correct, Garnett wouldn’t return until mid-April with only five games remaining in the season.
We’ve seen this before. Back in 2009 there wasn’t a clear date for his return, and as it turned out, he never did come back. What really concerns me here is how late in the season this injury occurred, how quick it came about, and the lack of communication between the organization and the fan base. Yes they released some information, but if this was a different player on the roster, we’d get a better understanding, and probably know exactly the extent of the injury. When return dates are given out without the team releasing an accurate description of an injury, it’s worth questioning and maybe getting a bit concerned.
The bottom-line, no matter if it’s a minor or serious injury, the Celtics need to step up in his absence. Boston is currently two games behind the Chicago Bulls for sixth in the Eastern Conference and the Milwaukee Bucks are lurking in the eight spot just two games behind. The Celtics are walking a very thin line, either they play a team like the New York Knicks, or face the toughest teams in the East with the chance of taking on the Miami Heat in the first round. It’s a desperate time for Boston right now. The Celtics are currently on a four game losing streak, and if they don’t turn it around now, it’s very likely that they could get bounced in the first round at the hands of the Indiana Pacers or Miami Heat.