The Return of KG?

When the Celtics were trumped by the Bulls 79-90 on Saturday night, nothing was more evident than the fact that the Celtics need Kevin Garnett back A.S.A.P. Not only did the Bulls outrebound the C's an embarrassing 48-27, but Big Baby could not handle Carlos Boozer who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while no one could stop Derrick Rose from driving without sending him to the free throw line. Every time Rondo was picked, Rose either finished in the paint, with a short jump shot, or was sent to the free throw line where he scored 15 of his 36 points. The Celtics looked completely worn down playing their fifth game in seven days, and Glen Davis once again led them in shot attempts, most of which were just inside the three point line. For the Celtics to win games against playoff teams like the Bulls, they need to play Celtics' basketball the way they did the other night against San Antonio, and an offensive collapse like the one they suffered against Chicago was difficult to watch. I banked on Ray Allen having a big game because Keith Bogans would not be able to keep up with him through effective Celtics' picks, and this was clearly true in the first quarter as Ray dropped 10 of his 19 points including two three pointers. However, they later stopped running these plays, stopped setting picks, and ended up relying primarily on Big Baby's jump shot, which resulted in a measly 79 points and an ugly loss. Rondo, Ray, and the Celtics look to bounce back tonight when they take on the Houston Rockets in Boston.

Don't let their 16-21 record fool you. The Rockets have played surprisingly well this season despite losing Yao Ming early on to another injury, and can definitely beat quality teams if you let them hang around. Kevin Martin is an incredibly talented shooter, and is averaging over 23 points per game this season, while Luis Scola continues to be a very solid big man who can come through in clutch situations with his ability to score in the low post, his consistent rebounding, and his hardnosed defense. Big Baby will definitely have his hands full once again tonight against Scola, which is why I sincerely hope that Kevin Garnett makes his return tonight. KG plans on returning sometime this week, and hopefully it is tonight so that he can lead the Celtics to a bounce back win and help ensure that they do not suffer another loss to a team that is just not as talented as they are. Paul Pierce will likely have a difficult time against defensive specialist Shane Battier, but Rondo should be able to take over this game against opposing point guard Kyle Lowry who has just six points and a -25 plus/minus rating in his last two games. Rondo should be back in stride with his typical 15-or-so assists, especially if Garnett is back to energize the team on the boards and down the stretch.

What I fail to understand about the Houston Rockets is why Jordan Hill is starting at center for them instead of Brad Miller. Yao Ming is obviously a huge part of their team, but he goes down every year to various foot and leg injuries. With the 7'6 monster sidelined once again this season, the Rockets' offseason acquisition of 7'0 veteran center Brad Miller seemed to be a match made in basketball heaven. However, even with Yao injured, they continue to use Miller off the bench, and are instead starting an undersized Jordan Hill at center. Assuming they continue this strategy tonight against the Celtics, Rondo will exploit this matchup of big men such as Shaq and Jermaine O'Neal who can easily post-up and outmuscle Hill. Also, Houston has a decent bench with guys who can score in bunches such as Chase Buddinger and Courtney Lee, but their bench's defense is less than stellar, and that will be exposed tonight by Boston's explosive backups. If Garnett returns tonight, the Celtics will absolutely come away with a win. If he does not, the Celtics need Rondo to quarterback their offense so that jumpers from Big Baby Davis are not their primary means of scoring, and they need to play with more energy so they don't get run all over the court by Martin, Scola, and a younger Rockets' team. After many close games against quality teams in the Western Conference, Houston may be better than their record indicates, but they are by no means better than the Boston Celtics.