Is Kevin Garnett ready for camp?
The Boston Celtics’ repeat title hopes went out the window last season without Kevin Garnett, as the C’s were extended to seven games by the upstart Bulls in the first round of the playoffs and then ran out of gas against the Orlando Magic.
Most expect that Boston’s championship window might close after this season with an aging trio of stars in Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Thus it’s imperative that Garnett be 100 percent recovered from the knee problems that ended his year prematurely last season.
With training camps about to open in the NBA, KG’s knee remains one of the top stories in the league.
“Kevin’s doing well,” Celtics boss Danny Ainge said. “He’s progressing. I guess we don’t know anything until we officially start going 100 percent live, but he looks good and we’re anticipating he’ll be ready for training camp.”
Celtics coach Doc Rivers said he’s been able to tell Garnett is returning to form by listening as much as watching.
“Kevin’s good,” Rivers said. “He’s been running, playing, jumping, talking – that means he’s back.”
Garnett played 57 games last season, sitting out the playoffs, then undergoing knee surgery. It doesn’t sound like he will be playing much, if at all, in the preseason games.
“We’re taking it as slow and as cautious as we can with him,” Ainge said. “He’s anxious and he has a ton of energy, but I think he gets it. We don’t have timetables on this. We are going week to week and we’ll make a decision on where he is.’’
Yet Rivers seemed to say the opposite of Ainge: “We’re just going to let him run,” the coach said of KG. “He’s never eased into anything in his life. I don’t think he’ll do it in this one.”
Boston’s camp opens Sept. 29.
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