Hollinger: It Isn't About Perk, KG and The Defense Has Regressed

Hollinger takes a moment to point out that the loss of Kendrick Perkins was more of a signpost than it was a catalyst of our team's downturn. More at fault has been the aging of Kevin Garnett - who Hollinger points out can't jump anymore.

NBA -- Kendrick Perkins trade not Boston Celtics' problem - ESPN

In a related story, Boston's defense has gone from spectacular to ordinary. The Celtics were second in the NBA in defensive efficiency last season; they entered Monday's game ranked 16th. So while their offense has been almost exactly the same as last season, they've fallen several notches defensively. That's why the focus on Paul Pierce's conditioning or Rajon Rondo's hey-where's-everybody-else solo transition forays or the lack of production from the bench misses the point right now. Boston's once-dominating defense is just ordinary now, and a big reason is because the anchor of that unit for the past half-decade simply isn't moving or jumping well enough to be a difference-maker.

Hurts to say, but KG isn't KG anymore. As a result, the Celtics aren't very scary anymore.