Kevin Garnett's First 11 Games This YearKevin Garnett is the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics (Paul Pierce is the guts).
DATE OPP RESULT M FG FT S B T F OR TR A PTS
10/28 Cle W 90-85 36 5-15 1-4 2 0 2 1 1 6 2 11
10/31 Chi W 96-80 26 7-11 4-4 2 1 3 2 1 10 3 18
11/1 @Ind L 95-79 34 9-18 0-1 1 1 6 2 4 14 1 18
11/4 @Hou W 103-99 36 6-15 2-2 0 1 2 2 1 11 1 14
11/5 @Okc W 96-83 29 8-14 1-1 2 0 1 2 1 8 0 17
11/7 Mil W 101-89 30 7-13 2-2 1 2 1 3 1 9 1 16
11/9 @Det W 88-76 33 4-15 0-0 1 0 4 1 1 12 2 8
11/10 Tor W 94-87 35 10-19 1-1 0 1 0 4 3 10 3 21
11/12 Atl W 103-102 35 10-16 5-5 1 2 1 2 3 12 4 25
11/14 Den L 94-85 36 7-14 2-2 0 2 4 1 3 9 2 16
11/15 @Mil W 102-97 39 6-15 3-4 2 4 5 6 2 7 3 15
Until I put together this graph, my take on KG's season thus far was that he had been ramping up after a slow start. Turns out his "slow start" was one game, the first game, and since then he has been more or less consistent.
By way of comparison to last year, however, he is off to a much slower start, at least statistically speaking. After his first 11 games last year, he had posted these scoring-rebounding numbers:
22-20
23-13
23-13
27-19
16-8
26-11
14-11
20-10
21-11
More telling, though, is a comparison to last year's free throw tallies. After 11 games of the 2007-2008 season, Kevin Garnett had converted 46-55 free throws. This year? 21-26.
Whoa.
That's better than a 2-1 discrepancy.
Why?
I think we all know the answer.
The best way to get to the stripe is by going inside, and KG has spent much of this season hoisting up jumpers.
This isn't the end of the world. KG's defense is still mucking things up in the paint for the other team. It might also be pointed out that while in Minnesota, KG was known as a player who "took care of himself," which was a euphemism for staying out of the paint to avoid injury.
I'm not against KG protecting himself when he deems it wise to do so, as long as the C's keep winning and the KG Era in Boston is remembered as a healthy and successful one. But it does represent yet another factor one must evaluate when trying to figure out how this year's Green differs from last year's Green.
They don't call free throws "freebies" for nothing.
2 comments:
I'm surprised that KG hasn't started the season at high level.
I thought he'd come out like a Jack'n'Box bouncing up and down all game long while he as the Defending Champ beats up on lesser teams.
Hopefully he'll pick up the pace shortly
One interesting thing I see is that he doesn't seem disinclined to take shots down the stretch, and, when he does take them, they aren't of the ugly variety.
So that ring may have helped him get over the yips...
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