Is this KG's Last Year?

Rage, rage against the dying of the light, Dylan Thomas wrote, and for nearly 60 years since then, sportswriters have applied that refrain to athletes nearing the end of their playing days. Because, y'know, it's so poetic. And it does seem to capture much of what happens as the gusts of time cause that competitive flame to flicker.

In Kevin Garnett's case, though, there's nothing wrong with his light. Burns as fierce and strong as ever. It's his lantern that isn't in very good shape.

To see Garnett at age 33, his right leg sheathed in a black support sleeve from kneecap to ankle, his gait noticeably slowed and flattened from what it had been only a couple years ago, is to see and feel with each stride most of the 40,861 minutes he already has logged in regular season games, along with 3,162 more in All-Star and postseason play. He isn't exactly High Priest Imhotep out on the hardwood, dragging the leg Mummy-style, but if you isolate on the Boston Celtics' 7-foot forward, you will see him hop every so often to keep up. Or slide. Or otherwise cut a corner or find an angle that gets him where he wants to be without the explosiveness he once took for granted.

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The rest of the world has finally joined us conspiracy theorists who long suspected that news about KG's knee wasn't lacking, it was just bad news and neither KG nor the Celtics brass cared to share it with the rest of us. It's hard to read a Celtics-related post anymore without seeing the phrase "shadow of his former self" when the Ticket is being discussed.

World class athletes have a couple of choices as Father Time exerts his limitations over youthful strength, speed, and agility. You can go the route of Rocky Marciano and Sandy Koufax, leave the game at the height of your powers or nearly so, or you can hang on and hang on and hang on. Kevin Garnett won't leave the game at the height of his powers, but he'll be damned if we seem him hanging on like Muhammad Ali or Michael Jordan.

So when will KG hang 'em up?

The answer depends in part on how much Garnett's game improves from here to April.

Say he doesn't improve at all.

Then the next question is how far do the Celtics get in the playoffs? If they get squashed in the first round with KG floundering, it says here KG is done, with Sheed following closely behind. Now suppose they get to the ECFs or NBA Finals but lose. Does he lace them up for another year? I don't know. He'd probably return for camp and see how it goes.

Either way, soak up what you can now, Celtics fans. The Big Fella may not be around these parts much longer.