Tuesday (the KG question) edition: Wha’ Happened?
Posted on April 29th, 2008 – 8:41 AMBy Michael Rand
We learned two things last night — one about the Boston Celtics and one about ourselves. The first, about the Celtics: they will not win the NBA title this year. A championship team knows how to impose its will on lesser opponents and would absolutely not lose a Game 4 to a team that won 29 fewer games during the regular season. They still are very likely to beat the Hawks in a series tied 2-2, but they will not win it all. The second, about us: we had assumed that after KG was traded to the Celtics, we would pull for him to win a title. Now? It’s not like we’re actively rooting against the Celtics or care that much for the Hawks, but our instinct upon seeing the score of last night’s game was to be happy. It was a surprising instinct, but that sort of thing doesn’t lie. Indeed, it’s how we watch games that involve two teams in which we have no previous emotional investment. Watch for a while, see which team is instinctively chosen, and go from there. With KG, the meter pointed toward schadenfreude. Maybe it’s lingering resentment that, aside from one year and largely through no fault of his own, he couldn’t make playoff magic in Minnesota. Maybe it was the way he couldn’t keep his emotions in check against the stinkin’ Hawks (also see photo) — a bravado we always felt came from an intense fear of losing that also pervaded many mediocre fourth-quarter performances with the Wolves. Or maybe there’s just no explaining these things. Think about some of the other athletes or coaches who have left in the past decade or so and how you feel or felt about them: Randy Moss, Daunte Culpepper, Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, Stephon Marbury, Flip Saunders, Dennis Green, A.J. Pierzynski, Chuck Knoblauch, etc. It should matter the circumstances under which they left (i.e. trade or free agency, on good terms or bad terms). But sometimes it doesn’t, and collective instinct takes over (just ask the catcher always booed at the Dome who helped the Twins to two division titles before being traded).
Questions: 1) What do your instincts tell you about Garnett and other players mentioned? 2) What happens to Flip or KG if the 76ers or Hawks shock the world and win an opening round series? 3) What do you think is the biggest determining factor as to whether you root for or against an athlete or coach after they leave Minnesota?
Fasola-link! Enough healthy living. Here are 60 things worth having it all end a little early, says Esquire. (And now we’re off for a 7-mile run).
27 Responses to "Tuesday (the KG question) edition: Wha’ Happened?"
Somewhere in a deep bunker in the Target Center or a tree stand in Hibbing, Mcfail is cackling.
Warning: Wear headphones. If you don’t like a little bit of bad language…don’t bother.
Onto actually answering the post:
1. At first with KG, I wanted to see him win with Boston. But I am enjoying their struggles with Atlanta quite a bit (and I don’t really care much about the NBA). I mean, McHale didn’t do what needed to be done while KG was here, but KG’s kind of been a [redacted] since he left.
I actually wanted to see Moss win with the Pats. I think the reason why he stopped succeeding here was that his QB (Daunte) started sucking and the Vikes blamed Moss rather than Culpepper.
I’m torn on Johan. I enjoy hearing that he’s doing well, and I smiled when I heard he got two doubles in one of his wins. However, I kind of enjoy when he’s struggling, too. But I think that has more to do with the Mets not getting their money’s worth than a dislike of Johan. I don’t think Johan knew how good he had it here.
I don’t want Torii to succeed in L.A. His situation bothers me. Don’t ever say, “I did everything I could to stay”. No, in that case, you would still be here, because you would have accepted the Twins contract offer. That’s everything Torii could have done to stay. I hate that pandering bull[redacted].
And I boo A.J., but I laugh while I’m doing it, because it’s so stupid. He never did anything to deserve it. The only thing he did was be in the way of the progression of Mauer. That’s not a boo-able offense. I think it’s because he’s on the Sox more than anything.
http://www.greenbandwagon.com/2008/4/29/469665/a-funny-thing-happened-on
This sounds a little familiar, no?
I’m not sure why so many people expected the Celtics to win the title this year. I never did. Yes they have some good players who can score. So have the last couple of Olympic teams and that didn’t work. I get a little tired of reading Simmons talk about how excited he is to have KG on his his team and how he gets everyone fired up. Yeah, we already knew that here in MN. We also knew that KG was not the guy to get it done in clutch time. He isn’t going to elevate his game in the playoffs and carry his team. Somehow everyone thought he would change when he got to Boston. False.
Roughkat, I think they expected KG to hold up for the first three quarters and that Ray Allen or Paul Pierce would make the big shot in the fourth, if needed.
It’s not playing out that way. Hell, they brought in Cassell just to have another guy who isn’t gun shy when it counts.
1. None of the people mentioned inspire anything more derogatory than a “Meh.” I realize that the RandBall Commentariat is a different beast, and this question might be better answered by the AV Orcs.
2. Flip gets fired, KG gets the Tracy McGrady treatment x 1000.
3. Basically, they’d have to act like AJ Piersynski without the on-field contributions while in town and the huge bounty upon leaving. I understand he’s a jerk, but geez Louise, two division titles and Joe Nathan? Let it go, everyone. Just let it go.
I would like to see KG win. If for no other reason that to see McHale’s failure to be capped off in a final and dramatic way.
Strangely enough, though, that logic doesn’t apply for me to Flip. I tend to think that Flip is exalted too much in this town and he is not a great coach by any stretch of the imagination. He, too, bears much of the blame for the Wolves’ failures in the KG era and has largely gotten off the hook on the basis of McHale’s more obvious failures.
1. I don’t cheer for any of these ex’s to get injured but I also don’t cheer for any of them. I never understood why people said KG deserved to win a title in Boston. If you are a fan don’t you cheer for your team to succeed? Why would I cheer for Boston, I’m not Kevin McHale.
2. Flip is gone if they lose and KG should get blasted if they lose to the Hawks. There is no reason KG shouldn’t have 25 and 15 every game against them, they don’t have anyone that should be able to stop him. This is why I said there was no reason for him to even finish in the top 3 of MVP voting. He absolutely disappears when the heat gets turned up.
3. I honestly don’t know one player that I have cheered for after they left my favorite team. Jordan was probably the closest but even he was booable.
He absolutely disappears when the heat gets turned up.
Yeah, but he pounds his chest and yells/curses a lot…don’t those things score points in the NBA these days?
Dave - Exactly. They brought in a 38 year old guard to be their clutch guy. Sounds like they had a lot of confidence in their team. Is Reggie Miller still available?
I get the feeling Torii doesn’t miss MN that much.
Are you a member of the BLOODS? It sounds like Paul Pierce thinks he is.
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/29/pierce_fined_for_gesture/
KG. Let’s see. Let me count the ways: model citizen,gives it 100% all the time, emotional guy who plays with both his soul and body until it hurts, can rebound, shoot, pass… Gave his heart and soul to a franchise for what over 10 years. In this age of hoodlums and selfish gangsters, why would I pull for this guy? I wonder..
I’ll say this: When Garnett was traded I thought “good for him” and insisted that I’d pull for him with the Cs.
Then he turned into a total jerk. (And that’s saying it nicely.)
I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that KG doesn’t deserve the championship I thought he did. So I’m getting a THRILL out of the C’s struggles with the Hawks. BAAAHAHAHAHA!
So if Rand is really running 7 miles, should we expect another post in about 4.5 Hours? Shouldn’t someone be out looking for him? He’s probably de-hydrated and searching for a Chinese buffet.
Eric, let’s just say I’ve heard at least 3 stories of how much of a model citizen KG is to the public. (one particluarly interesting comparison between him and his posse at a charity golf tourney, and the completely different way EVERYONE else at the golf tourney acted convinced me that Garnett was not the model citizen everyone made him out to be - of course, I heard this second hand, but from two independent sources).
Do you know what your favorite soccer player is right now?
Actually, I was thinking more about the Hawks, in the context of the Wolves’ situation, how they’ve climbed from the cellar in which we dwell. Win or lose, the Hawks (with their cap space) are going to attract some interest from good free agents who will think they’re the one piece of the puzzle that could bring Atlanta an NBA ring.
Let me rewrite that for proper sports blog commenting:
FIRE MCHALE!!
I rooted for the Angels after Carew went there.
Jama - How do you know it was a trannie? Were his hands as big as Andre the Giant’s? And what about the adam’s apple?
roughkat
I have no idea whether or not it was a trannie. I was already passed out in the bathroom when Ronaldo brought them back.
Booing AJ is ridiculous - it’s almost embarassing when it happens every time his name is mentioned at the Dome. There’s just no reason for it - he was a great Twin and we traded him (our choice, not his demand). There were so many things to love about KG while he was here, but his salary demands really did handicap our ability to build a team around him. I don’t buy that he “deserves” a title - what does that even mean? Earn it, win it. After all the millions he’s made from this league, he doesn’t “deserve” anything.
I wonder if Rand has made it to mile marker 5 yet?
I hope rand brought some Gu.
I just hope Mr. Mandlebaum is taking it easy on Michael.
Stu- It’s Go Time!
Eric
Working my way through college by doing Valet parking at Mystic Lake, I got to see how much of a “great guy” KG was. He and his crew rolled in in 5 seperate cars. Mind you that he has just signed his first big contract. Out of the 5 cars brought up, we got tipped a total of $3!! $20 million a year, and tipped $3 for 5 cars! Maybe the ATM was out of order at the time…
