What If KG Went To The Other Coast?

by Jeff Clark on Feb 5, 2009 1:14 PM EST in Boston Celtics News & Links

Steve Aschburner considers what Boston fans shudder to comprehend.

Had McHale zigged instead of zagged, had he bit on what many believed to be the Lakers' best offer -- center Andrew Bynum, forward Lamar Odom and a first-round pick -- Garnett would have been playing on Pacific time, Bryant might have been Finals MVP and the Lakers might have been hanging the 15th championship banner in franchise history (five in Minneapolis, the next nine in Los Angeles, then a 10th that deserved a real Minnesota asterisk). It might not have come down to McHale's decision at all; had Garnett dug in his heels and balked at Boston even after Ray Allen's arrival, he might have been commuting to practices and games from his beachfront home in Malibu.

He then makes some conclusions about what would have happened in Minnesota and Boston:

Boston: All of the pieces sent to Minnesota -- Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff's expiring contract and two first-round picks -- would have stayed right in Beantown. Ainge would have acquired Allen but not Garnett; the Big Three last season would have been a Big Two. Jefferson might have been ready to build on his 2006-07, when he averaged 16.0 points and 11.0 rebounds. But there's no way he's getting up the 1,441 shots he took for Minnesota -- 343 more than Pierce last season, 455 more than Allen and 451 more than Garnett was accorded. So Big Al might have taken a half step had he stayed in Boston, not the giant stride he made as the Wolves' go-to guy and low-post beast.

The Celtics would have had Ratliff's contract to peddle and, most likely, Green to cut. Telfair might not have gotten in Rajon Rondo's way at point guard, and Gomes is a player who can help in any role. But with all due respect to assistant coach Tom Thibodeau, there is no way -- no way -- Boston's defensive culture changes without Garnett around to demand it, enforce it and demonstrate it in that one-man-zone way of his. And without that defense, last year's Celtics are not, well, last year's Celtics. They're a playoff team, but Cleveland probably gets by them in the East.

An interesting "what if" discussion, but I'm just glad we don't have to worry about any of that.

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Comments

Woulda, coulda, shoulda.

About the Davis/Powe poll. Isn’t that a continuation of the old poll and not a new one? I have a feeling it would be the total opposite if a new one was started.

by Bankshot on Feb 5, 2009 1:20 PM EST reply actions

i don't mess with what ifs

by tommyfan on Feb 5, 2009 1:27 PM EST reply actions

I know we are just bored and stirring the pot but bottom line: we'd have gotten Gasol

I think it was you who pointed it out before, Jeff. If we never make the Ray trade, we have endless “stuff” to give memphis. If we do the Ray trade, and if we can get Gasol and keep Al,(we could have offered a better package than Memphis got from LA either way) we win the title with a first seven of Perk, Gasol, Al, PP, Ray, Rondo, Posey, and whatever is left after the trade of the Baby, Powe,TA, Telfair, Gomes, Green, Ratliff bench beyond those seven. LA would have had KG, and Kobe and not a ton else. kobe, who would have been neutralized by PP. Celts win. My big if with that is we had to have Tibs and Posey or I agree the d never shows aup and though it look good on paper without the d we don’t make it…Game at 5 my time

by wahz on Feb 5, 2009 1:32 PM EST reply actions

yup

Kobe and KG vs. Paul, Ray, Gasol, and Big Al is still a good matchup

"Would I rather be feared or loved? Easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me." Michael Scott

by Jeff Clark on Feb 5, 2009 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

Lol. too many new blogs in the front page. Hard to keep up with all the discussions.

Anyways, I don’t like hypotheticals… and I don’t know about a championship, but I would be quite comfortable with that team. Maybe our defense might not have been as good, but Big Al is a force down low. And as you said, we’d still have all the assets that landed us KG, so a good trade would’ve been on the horizon.

by BudweiserCeltic on Feb 5, 2009 1:32 PM EST reply actions

Haha

Just responding to people who say that their isn’t enough Celtics content on here. ;-)

All the negativity in this town sucks. It sucks, and it stinks, and it sucks. - Rick Pitino

by Roy_Hobbs on Feb 5, 2009 2:21 PM EST up reply actions

Lol, there’s suddenly TOO MUCH! Someone save us from the madness.

by BudweiserCeltic on Feb 5, 2009 2:22 PM EST up reply actions

I love all the Celtics topics. Was getting tired of seeing all the political threads.

by Bankshot on Feb 5, 2009 2:37 PM EST up reply actions

Well, it’s one thing if this was in the forums, but it’s in the front page which are harder to navigate when new topics keep popping up. Anyways, let’s not go more off topic in here.

by BudweiserCeltic on Feb 5, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions

What if...

…the Celts drafted Tim Duncan? One question is no more relevant than the other in the sense that both are just speculation. I could go on but I don’t want to resurrect any ghosts. Seriously.

by BleedinGreen417 on Feb 5, 2009 6:09 PM EST reply actions