Et Tu, Sports Guy? / Bill Simmons questions KG (merged)

[Larry Legend]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3403820&campaign=rsssrch&source=bill_simmons 

So the sports guy admitted on his podcast last week that he took some heat for his MVP vote for KG.  Instead of standing up to heat, he gets the hell out of the kitchen.  He turns in the same worn, tired, KG column that basketball fans have been reading for years. 

Sure, he saved the franchise and made the C's relevant again. He's also the reason they might not win the 2008 championship.

It's astounding to me that he strung this series of words together with a straight face.  In his attempt at grandeur he misses the logical fallacy in that pair of sentences.  If the Celtics win the NBA Championship it will be because of KG.  If they fail to win the NBA championship, the Sports Guy wants us all to turnaround and blame the very reason we are here.

The facts of the playoffs seem to have somehow eluded the Sports Guy.  Let's look at this seasons big playoff games.  In game 5 against the Atlanta Hawks, KG had 20 points, 5 Boards, 7 assists, and 3 blocks.  In game 7, he had 18 points and 11 boards in limited minutes and was the spark plug for the Celtics early run.  In Game 1 of the past series KG had 28 points and 8 boards while Paul and Ray combined for only 4, carrying his team to a crucial game 1 win (adding a critical bucket down the stretch).  In a critical game 5 KG had 26 points and a monstrous 16 boards to go with three more blocks.  In game 7, KG had only 13 points, deferring to the smoking hot Paul Pierce yet still pulling down 13 boards and helping Rondo secure 9 boards of his own with proper box outs and positioning.

The Sports Guy would have us all believe that those aren't clutch performances.  That somehow the fact that he is a game changing presence on the defensive end for the entire game no longer matters in the final 2 minutes of close playoff games.  That somehow the 28 points he's already scored mean nothing when it's close and late and he kicks the ball out.

Would I like KG to be more assertive on offense at times?  You bet.  Would I say he's not clutch?  No way in hell.  With apologies to Jack Nicholson, KG could very easily respond:

We use words like honor, ubuntu, loyalty. We use then as the backbone of a year spent trying to win something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very excitement and relevance I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a ball and come down that lane. Either way, I don't give a [dang] what you think you are entitled to.

   

[celticmaestro]

gotta agree with simmons with the fact that kg isn't a very clutch player. and if i had time i would elaborate on that and how i think pierce is the most important player in the playoffs for the c's, but i don't, perhaps later.

[MMacOH]

When it comes down to crunch time KG defers and that is why he is not clutch.  The League of Cluthc ad from Gatorade is ridiculous and Paul Pierce should be ticked that KG is who they chose for that ad.

Every Celtic fan should have learned Sunday that Pierce is your go to clutch player at the end of the game. 

[RonJohn]

I am very grateful to Kevin Garnett for transforming the team and anchoring a historic defense, but I have to agree with Simmons here. If Garnett passes a five footer in the paint with five minutes left in the 4th quarter my head might explode. He has ZERO semblence of a post power game. Once, I would like to see him ROLL towards the hoop instead of setting the pick and then popping.

[Roy Hobbs]

KG doesn't elevate his game in the clutch.  That's fair.  He's the same player he always is.  He doesn't have a "sixth gear".

However, I also don't think he struggles as much as Simmons and others imply.  KG has had some phenomenal games in the playoffs this year, particularly in Game 1 and Game 5 against Cleveland.  Without his clutch play down the stretch in Game 1, we lose that game, and most likely, the series.

[Big Ticket]

When it comes down to crunch time KG defers and that is why he is not clutch.  The League of Cluthc ad from Gatorade is ridiculous and Paul Pierce should be ticked that KG is who they chose for that ad.

Every Celtic fan should have learned Sunday that Pierce is your go to clutch player at the end of the game. 

I find it ironic that people think it's a Celtics ad.  KG is sponsored by Gatorade.  Pierce isn't.  That would be pretty weird if it was Pierce in the commercial...

[the_Bird]

Here's the thing....

Starting Tony over Ray would be a complete, 100% panic move.  As bad as Ray's confidence is right now, it would likely be completely shot after that.  Can you imagine the furor that would arise if Doc actually DID this?  This would be worse than Lil' General panicing and going smallball against Golden Sttate last year.

We win the title this year if Ray breaks out of his slump.  If he doesn't, I don't see how we get past both Detroit and whoever comes out of the West.  Look for them to try and get Ray going early in the first quarter, and look for Ray to attack the rim.  If he can't get it going, I wouldn't be surprised to see him have a pretty short leash - but that means Pierce at the 2, Posey at the 3, and maybe a bit more Eddie.  Tony will be lucky to break a sweat (nor should he - he's fallen out of the playoff rotation for a reason, he's just not that good, and he's unreliable). 

As noted, Detroit has to pay attention to Ray whenever he's on the court.  They know that if he DOES get going, they're in a lot of trouble.  He could be 0-20 and you still wouldn't leave him open.


_{(I feel like I'm telling you that Santa Claus doesn't exist, but don't get your hopes up for Tony being re-signed in the offseason, either).}

[BudweiserCeltic]

KG doesn't elevate his game in the clutch.  That's fair.  He's the same player he always is.  He doesn't have a "sixth gear".

However, I also don't think he struggles as much as Simmons and others imply.  KG has had some phenomenal games in the playoffs this year, particularly in Game 1 and Game 5 against Cleveland.  Without his clutch play down the stretch in Game 1, we lose that game, and most likely, the series.

Let's not forget that he also hit some key baskets in the 4th in game 7 against Cleveland. In a game, that he was very well guarded and couldn't get any rhythm, he came big in the 4th... that's cluth play right there.  Though he's had a couple of poor performances in the 4th this post season, he's been by an large quite good in my opinion, in clutch situations so far. Not the best clutch performance, but fairly dependable.  Remember when LeBron went off in the 4th, he was the one that got us two key baskets that allowed us to maintain the cushion... else LeBron could've run us out of the floor in the 4th during that stretch.

[MMacOH]

Answer this question and you will know who your clutch player is......

The Celtics are down 1 and can only have one guy take the game winning shot...who is taking it KG or PP?

If I am a Boston fan I want PP taking that shot every time

[Roy Hobbs]

Answer this question and you will know who your clutch player is......

The Celtics are down 1 and can only have one guy take the game winning shot...who is taking it KG or PP?

If I am a Boston fan I want PP taking that shot every time

Before the playoffs started, I would have said Ray Allen. 

[Tommy Gun]

Lets not forget Captain Clutch Paul Pierce also has had his share of bad turnovers down the stretch of games..Like dribbling the ball too much out around the 3 point line..Must have been a half dozen TOs I can think of..

So Pierce might want the ball more than KG down the stretch, but Paul does'nt exactly always come up with the Big/ SMART plays..

If KG is doubled he has to get rid of the ball not take stupid contested shots..

A team is only as good as the sum of its parts..Each guy has to do what is expected of him and performances vary from game to game

[joebianca]

Answer this question and you will know who your clutch player is......

The Celtics are down 1 and can only have one guy take the game winning shot...who is taking it KG or PP?

If I am a Boston fan I want PP taking that shot every time

There are more ways to be clutch than to take the game-winning shot. KG had 8 rebounds in the 4th quarter of Game 5 against Cleveland, 4 on the offensive glass. Without that, we don't win the game.

Do I think he defers too much? Sure. But by your definition, Robert Horry is just as clutch as Michael Jordan.

[ponch]

We use words like honor, ubuntu, loyalty. We use then as the backbone of a year spent trying to win something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very excitement and relevance I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you," and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest that you pick up a ball and come down that lane. Either way, I don't give a [dang] what you think you are entitled to.

   
[/quote]

Hah! That is awesome.  I could definitely see KG saying that to the Sports Guy.  Only I imagine a few more F bombs after each sentence.  Then the camera panning to Simmons who is now on the ground convulsing in a pool of his own making.

There was a pretty funny exchange during the end of the C's game.  It must have been coming out of a timeout and they had just played the 'You can handle the truth' on the Jumbletron.  Van Gundy starts talking about how it gave him goosebumps and Mike Breen says something about not having seen or remembered 'A Few Good Men' prompting Jackson and Van Gundy to pretty much question his patriotism.

[Vermont Green]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3403820

I don't buy it.  KG was big in game 5 and 6.  He was statistically down in game 7 but I thought was still great.  I don't view it as a "choke" at all.

[saibnel]

Lets not forget Captain Clutch Paul Pierce also has had his share of bad turnovers down the stretch of games..Like dribbling the ball too much out around the 3 point line..Must have been a half dozen TOs I can think of..

So Pierce might want the ball more than KG down the stretch, but Paul does'nt exactly always come up with the Big/ SMART plays..

If KG is doubled he has to get rid of the ball not take stupid contested shots..

A team is only as good as the sum of its parts..Each guy has to do what is expected of him and performances vary from game to game

First off, every single player who is considered "clutch" has failed and made bad plays in big situations so I am not sure how PP doing it is relevant to KG not being clutch.

If you were watching that Cleveland series, KG was man uped by wallace and side show bob basically the entire series, if there was a "doulbe" it was soft coming from the top of the key. Cleveland was defending our perimeter b/c they didn fear KG going for 35 against them 5 out of 7 games. It isnt how he plays.

He is a great great player, best second option in the history of the NBA, he is our most important player defensively and second most important player offensively...nothing wrong witht that at all

but our O is 100% better when it is run through PP, and PP may not be as clutch as jordan or bird, but he is our best shot at dominating all facets of the game offensively, scoring, passing, drawing fouls etc, forcing teams to shift defenses towards him - in big games