Kevin Garnett has not played with the Celtics since Dec. 29, and was not expected to return for at least two weeks. That night, he suffered what appeared to be a knee injury after a dunk in the first quarter.
While it was later diagnosed as a calf injury, the Celtics must be aware of Garnett’s past injury problems and the dangers associated with bringing the forward back too quickly.
In February of 2009, KG suffered a similar knee injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season and required surgery in May, kept him out of the playoffs.
However, according to ESPN Boston, KG could return as early as Monday to the starting lineup. It appears that his injury is not nearly as serious as the one two years ago.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers said "He's shooting, doing everything," and added that, "We're just going to throw him in. If he can't remember the stuff, we're in trouble."
Rivers initially supported that "It is a muscle injury, not a knee." He added, "You always worry when a guy goes down without anyone around him, because those always seem to be severe injuries, so that was the first thing that went through my mind. We don't think this one is too bad, but we'll see."
Although Garnett may be healthy enough to return next week, his return should be delayed. The Celtics are 4-2 without its star power forward, who is second in the Eastern Conference All-Star Game voting for his position.
That’s not to say that the Celtics do not need Garnett, but the team will value his presence on the court when he’s healthy and in the final months of the regular season and NBA Playoffs.
Glen Davis, who’s averaging 12.6 points and 5.50 rebounds per game, could continue to serve as Garnett’s replacement in a starting role until KG’s back to full strength. Some argue he could contest for the Sixth Man of the Year award, but for now, Big Baby will do starting at forward.
When Garnett suffered the knee injury in 2009, he returned from his injury, but for only four games and played limited time. After that, he had to forgo the rest of the season, including the playoffs, due to aggravation to his knee. The thought of Garnett re-aggravating that same knee injury because he came back too soon from this calf injury would be devastating for Celtic fans to see. Even worse, it would obviously deter the hopes of the Boston Celtics returning a championship to the city.
It’s great news that Garnett is healthy, but jeopardizing his health could provide an even greater risk and blow to the remainder of the season.
