Garnett's Play an Inspiration

For an outside observer viewing a Boston Celtics game for the first time, it will take little to no time to get acquainted with employee No. 5. He’s tall (7-feet) with a freakishly long build, sports a shiny dome that glistens even more under arena lights, and is generously listed at 253 lbs. by Celtics management. He swears like a sailor and enjoys intimidating opponents through the art of trash talk. He’s also one of the biggest reasons the Celtics have a legitimate shot at raising banner No. 18.

Aside from glancing at Garnett’s gaudy postseason averages – 20.3 points and 11 rebounds per game on 55 Percent shooting – there has been a telling statistic thus far in the series against Philadelphia. With Garnett on the floor, the Celtics have been a staggeringly +47. When he’s needed a breather, the team has dropped to -31.

The team’s leading rebounder, and quite frankly, one of the only rebounders in Celtic green, it is easy to see why the Celtics get beat on the boards when Garnett is out (+15 when in; -15 when out). His presence, however, is far more reaching. The Celtics points per 48 minutes and field goal percentage go down remarkably when the big man is on the bench. Boston has also shot three pointers at 41 Percent (14-34) when he’s on the court and a putrid 8 Percent (1-13) when he’s not.

Garnett’s play on defense goes without saying, but it has been his offense that has been just as pivotal to the team’s success. Going against a tandem of Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes, Garnett has punished both down low, as well as with his patented 18-foot range. The effects of Garnett’s success have a trickle down effect with the team.

When he’s on the block Philadelphia has really had no match for him. When they leave Brand or Hawes one-on-one to defend Garnett, he just goes over the top of them with his unblock-able and high arching shot. When the 76ers send someone over to double-team, Garnett, who is one of the best passing big men of all-time, finds the open man. Him getting the ball down low creates more space for the perimeter players to move in, and allows players like Mikael Pietrus (who had been struggling prior to Game Two) to

knock down three’s.

Conversely, when Garnett is roaming the perimeter, it creates other offensive avenues for the Celtics to score. As evidenced by his 13 first quarter points and his ability to get to the basket seemingly anytime he wants to, Rajon Rondo’s efforts in Game Three produced 23 points on 16 shots to go along with 14 assists. When Garnett is out on the perimeter, Rondo can take his man one-on-one and expect not to be met by a big man in the paint. If a big man does step up, the vision-gifted Rondo has shooters all around him to distribute to. Rondo found his way into the paint on Wednesday with relative ease. Garnett can also run the pick and pop with anyone, and if the defender sags, can make nine out of ten jumpers on a normal day.

When KG’s out on the floor hooting, hollering, and dropping “F-bombs” on himself and to anyone who will listen, Celtics fans should feel positive about their chances. Fans and teammates alike should be more worried when Garnett is not being heard from. He provides the team with undeniable swagger and a physical force (even if the Celtics are a small team). While Rondo is the quarterback and Pierce is the “professional scorer” as Doc Rivers referred to him as, Garnett is the heartbeat of the team. The Celtics know that they will need it pumping if they want to celebrate in June.

Voting Process Needs Overhaul

Every four years, voters and non-voters alike, are subjected to the same trivial mudslinging that occurs when a democrat and a republican battle it out to become president of the United States. This year, with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney going at it, the rancor, boorishness, and utter dullness between the two centrist wannabes (but too afraid to rankle their own party’s constituents) should be at an all time high.

Voter turnout, more specifically the youth turnout, is an often coveted yet maligned prospect of every major election. Obama’s grass-roots campaign of 2008 was catered to the younger generation (largely through social media and a general openness about him), yet the young vote was still relatively weak when compared to any other group.

Voting is a choice to some; an obligation to others. The people of the United States would be better served if we were universally more informed. There is no simple solution to cure voter apathy, however, I do have a mix of ingredients that may help fix a reparable situation.

- Despite the jobless rate being too high, many people do in fact hold steady jobs. Most of those jobs require employees to work on Tuesday’s, which is also the day elections are always held. Often times, the voter finds the experience more burdensome than rewarding. Perhaps the process would be easier if voting took place on a weekend or over the course of two-to-three days, putting less stress on working parents, single moms, and the disabled.

- Make ballots easier to complete and comprehend, and in a federal election, the layout and design of a ballot in Maine should look very similar to one in Oregon. Perhaps the fiasco in Florida during the 2000 Presidential Elections would never have taken place if the ballot was easier to solve than a rubik’s cube. From a personal voting experience, I have found ballots to be rather confusing, and more specifically, the way the questions were phrased.

- Even though registration makes it easier and more possible to count up votes, registration should be more accessible in general, in addition to being available up until and through the voting process. Registering with one party should also not be allowed. Especially when looking at young voters, why should we box ourselves in to the agendas of one party?

- Lastly, the voting age should be reduced from 18 to 16. High schools would be required to hold a weekly class informing kids about what was going on in the news (there would still be a political science class). The class would also help students discern the differences between the two parties and the two candidates. Although many of the students will have no doubt been influenced by their parents, they are still at an age
where their mind is impressionable. Starting two years earlier would make a younger
generation that much more informed, perhaps even a bit more receptive than their elders.

The Enigma of Rondo

He was supposed to be through with this stage of his career. The immaturity Rajon Rondo displayed at the end of the Celtics game one loss to the Hawks could go in one of two ways. It may just be a hiccup in the road to a championship run, or it could be a precursor to the demise of the “Big-Three” era Boston Celtics.

To begin the season, reports surfaced that Rondo had to be locked out of the team’s practice facility during last seasons failed attempt against the Miami Heat in the playoffs after throwing a glass bottle of iced tea at the TV monitor used to watch game film. Rondo apologized but the damage had been done. This is Rondo’s second suspension of the season; he was suspended for two games earlier for throwing the ball at a referee.

Could you really fault Team President Danny Ainge for trying to trade Rondo for a-then-available Chris Paul? Paul is on an entirely different level as a point guard in this league, a calibrated maestro if you will. This is someone who players sacrifice paychecks and playing time to come play with. You can see it clearly when watching the Los Angeles Clippers play this season. Paul elevates everyone else around him, while taking over scoring-wise (if needed) at the end of games. While CP3 was busy rallying and leading his team from 27-point fourth quarter comeback in his Game One against Memphis, Rondo was making his teammates jobs for Game Two that much more difficult.

This is not to overshadow Rondo’s on court accomplishments at all. From a personal standpoint, Rondo is one of my favorite players to watch, and not just because he plays for the Celtics.

There may not be a more exciting player in the league with the ball than Rondo. Considering that this is a league with an abundance of riches with young talented point guards, that is saying a lot about the Kentucky alum. His outside jumper and free throw percentage may still be problematic from time to time, but at least for this season, it has not hindered his game much at all.

I have never watched a player as unique as Rondo, and that may be why many experts have a hard time dissecting his game. He’s already sixth among active players in career triple doubles, and tied for sixth all time in postseason triple doubles. He’s also just in his fifth season.

Part of the fire that propels Rondo to succeed and silence the critics who thought he was nothing more than a skinny point guard without a polished offensive game, is also what can land him in hot water.



In just his second season in the NBA, Rondo was tasked with playing the point for a legendary franchise with championship expectations. New additions Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett on top of Celtic mainstay Paul Pierce, were not just established stars in a star-driven league, they were sure-fire hall of famers who were not shy about asking for the ball or getting on their younger teammate when he failed to execute.

Rondo handled the pressure in stride. The Allen-Garnett-Pierce trio, dubbed the “Big Three”, received the majority of the accolades that championship season (deservedly so). Rondo played second fiddle as well as any second-year point guard not named Magic could play.

Even in subsequent years when it was clear Rondo deserved to be mentioned with his more celebrated teammates, he did not let it boil over incessantly. At least not publicly.

Fast forward four years after that 2008 Championship run, and while the “Big-Three” moniker is still used somewhat sparingly to describe the Allen, Garnett, and Pierce outfit, it is false in every way when describing the new (or old) Boston Celtics.

It is clear that Rondo is the straw that stirs the drink, or as KG likes to call him, “the head that forms Voltron”. Boston may be a team that relies on every small part of its game – from Pierce’s rebounding and point-forward skills and Ray Allen’s spacing, to Greg Stiemsma’s shot blocking ability and Mickael Pietrus’ unbridled enthusiasm – but Rondo is the team’s most important player.

I don’t want to dive into the officiating because I like my blood pressure where it is. In short, the officiating in Game One was an embarrassment to an already scrutinized league.

Rondo is 26 years old. With the reins of the Celtics seemingly being turned over to him in the near future, it’s time Rondo started showing leadership qualities in every capacity.

Boston witnessed Pierce’s growing up first-hand, from the disgraced Indiana series in 2004 to the MVP of the NBA Finals in 2008. Allen and George Karl clashed in Milwaukee, with Karl ultimately trading the beloved Allen for a just-about washed up Gary Payton. Garnett had to deal with a multitude of issues during his long stay in Minnesota, including an overly inept team of management.

Great players have to overcome some sort of adversity to achieve ultimate success in the league, just ask LeBron James. Does Rajon Rondo have the ability? One thing is for sure, we won’t find out Tuesday night.