KG's greatest value: consistent high performance= home court advantage

[wahz]

With frustration growing among fans and critics saying that KG is just not the kind of player who seems to want to take over the game in the low post, I got to thinking that his greatest value lies in the fact that every year he is healthy and still playing as well as he can now, he is likely to lead a good or great team to achieve its full potential and get the best record in basketball.

He won't take a night off. He may not always play great, but how many bad games did he have this year in the regular season? Did he have any? You can be sure that he will lead his team to win as many regular season games as is possible. His teams will overachieve. They sure won't underachieve in the season. Older Celtics fans might compare this to the Cowens, Havlicek teams that regularly got home court for the playoffs. When playoffs hit they really wasn't another gear to go to. Maybe that is a little bit of a problem but where would we be without home court right now?

Minor tweaks to the roster and we get home court at least two more years in a row. We'll get to the playoffs and the gap between us and the other teams will seem to lessen some. Thats ok. With KG leading us with his consistent high performance all year, willing his teamates to do the same, some team will have to beat the Celtics at home in the playoffs and probably more than once to put us down. KG's overall play will put us in the right position every year he is heathy. I can live with the fact that others will probably have to take over on offense at key moments in the playoffs for thje Celtics to add to the title count.

[Hoops]

Nice thoughts. Fresh perspective. TP

[CelticsPrideKG]

With frustration growing among fans and critics saying that KG is just not the kind of player who seems to want to take over the game in the high post, I got to thinking that his greatest value lies in the fact that every year he is healthy and still playing as well as he can now, he is likely to lead a good or great team to achieve its full potential and get the best record in basketball.

He won't take a night off. He may not always play great, but how many bad games did he have this year in the regular season? Did he have any? You can be sure that he will lead his team to win as many regular season games as is possible. His teams will overachieve. They sure won't underachieve in the season. Older Celtics fans might compare this to the Cowens, Havlicek teams that regularly got home court for the playoffs. When playoffs hit they really wasn't another gear to go to. Maybe that is a little bit of a problem but where would we be without home court right now?

Minor tweaks to the roster and we get home court at least two more years in a row. We'll get to the playoffs and the gap between us and the other teams will seem to lessen some. Thats ok. With KG leading us with his consistent high performance all year, willing his teamates to do the same, some team will have to beat the Celtics at home in the playoffs and probably more than once to put us down. KG's overall play will put us in the right position every year he is heathy. I can live with the fact that others will probably have to take over on offense at key moments in the playoffs for thje Celtics to add to the title count.

I could have sworn you were one of the "KG haters".  Must have confused you with someone else as these were some very nice observations and spot on.

TP from me as well.

[Redz]

With Mr. Consistent & Air Intangibles the Celts are unbeatable!

All's we need is a hero

hmmm?



Ahhhh...That's the Ticket (or the Truth)

[wahz]

I have frequently posted frustrations I have with KG and his activity near the hoop on offense. I have boiled over on several occasions. But if anyone thought I wasn't a fan, booster, or loved the guy it would have been from taking my frustrations out of context, and I understand that too. I sure earned it.
 I have tried to make it clear I think he is capable of being the greatest player in history and that he isn't either by his own choice or because a coach hasn't gotten him to understand selflessness on the court may sometime mean you are NOT making the right basketball play.

He is going to be what we see he is, I think, selfless to a fault. But I don't think I have ever seen a more consistent player. Even Bill Russell took nights off until the playoffs. Those celtic teams elevated their game. Well, Kevin will lead this team relentlessly to the home court. Thats a big enough load. We just need someone else to provide great offense in key games at playoff time. You put it better than I: we will just need a hero to step up on offense come playoff time.

[CelticsPrideKG]

I have frequently posted frustrations I have with KG and his activity near the hoop on offense. I have boiled over on several occasions. But if anyone thought I wasn't a fan, booster, or loved the guy it would have been from taking my frustrations out of context, and I understand that too. I sure earned it.
 I have tried to make it clear I think he is capable of being the greatest player in history and that he isn't either by his own choice or because a coach hasn't gotten him to understand selflessness on the court may sometime mean you are NOT making the right basketball play.

He is going to be what we see he is, I think, selfless to a fault. But I don't think I have ever seen a more consistent player. Even Bill Russell took nights off until the playoffs. Those celtic teams elevated their game. Well, Kevin will lead this team relentlessly to the home court. Thats a big enough load. We just need someone else to provide great offense in key games at playoff time. You put it better than I: we will just need a hero to step up on offense come playoff time.

Well it is good to know that you are such a fan.  The same things that KG routinely gets criticized are the same reasons I have been such a fan of his for so long.  In a league where regular season games are routinely labeled "meaningless" - KG plays every night with the same intensity he brings to the playoffs.  I agree with your assessment that he's always had the talent to be one of the greatest ever (which I believe he is one of the greatest PF of all time and in the top 50 all-time and hopefully moving up after the Celtics win the title - *fingers crossed*)

However, I'm not quite sure he would have ever been this great if he had played inside as much as most want him to.  The same guy who is lauded for being so consistent may have been plagued by injuries if he played inside all the time - his health has been remarkable over his career (knock on wood) and I'm not sure he's ever had the frame to bang inside on BOTH ends of the floor.

If nothing else his style of play is a result of his going straight to the NBA.  Everyone knows his frame DEFINITELY couldn't handle inside play of the NBA his first few years in the league and I'm pretty sure he just found a style of play that he realized he could be great with and stuck with it.  I doubt seriously that McHale and Co. were going to complain with the production they were getting and I don't think they were willing to "experiment" with a different style during an NBA season - during which they were almost always in the playoffs.

[wahz]

I agree that if he was just a low post player, he wouldn't be as good as he is. My suggestion posted here on the blog previously, is that ONE MORE TIME EACH QUARTER, he take a shot from the low post. If I was his coach I would be relentlesly on him to do this. It'll add up enough, and of course just imho, balance out his game and make him an even greater game-changing force on offense. Indeed I think this one thing would make him by far the greatest player in the game