Your Morning Dump... Where KG has a long way to go

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline.  Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

From Boston's end, Garnett was invisible, and not just with his defense on the final play. He finished with six points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes and twice failed to finish alley-oop plays at the basket. On the crucial play against Lewis he played his customary in-your-grill defense, only he lacked the dexterity to stay in front of him on the drive -- a recurring pattern during Orlando's second-half comeback.

Playing his third game since missing 10 games with what was diagnosed as a hyper-extended right knee, Garnett appeared to favor his leg noticeably throughout. Afterward he insisted that nothing was wrong -- "I just played like [expletive]," he said, "pure [expletive]." Few observers believed him -- at least the part about nothing being wrong with his leg.

ESPN's Daily Dime

Is this the moment where we realize KG will never be KG again? Watching Rashard Lewis blow past him for the game-winning layup was painful. Even more painful than my pounding headache. What's more troubling? The fact Garnett might still be hurt, or that he's completely healthy and has lost a ton of lateral movement and vertical explosiveness?

KG's woes aside, the Celtics have problems. The defense is spotty. They allowed Orlando 35 points in the final quarter. The rebounding is awful - 17 offensive rebounds and 26 second chance points for the Magic. The inconsistent play from their stars. Have the Big 3 all had solid games on the same night?

On Page 2, Doc's explanation for the loss.

“We deserved it,” the coach said. “I said it in the second quarter. I thought we had a chance to be up 20. I thought we completely lost our focus. An 11-point lead, I told them at halftime, was a joke. We should have been up 25 points at halftime. We started walking around like we had accomplished something by getting up. We don’t do that, but we did it today.

“I love this team, but today I just thought our focus kept going in and out, and when it did you saw what happened.”

Orlando Stuns Celtics - Herald

How can a veteran team with championship pedigree routinely lose focus? It kills me to see them have these lapses within games. I can understand sucking from the start, but to play so well and play so badly within the same game boggles my mind.

Thanks again to all who turned out for our party. It was a lot of fun. I'll be posting some pictures on our Facebook page later today.

The rest of the links:

Globe - Celtics Lead Magically Vanishes | Rondo has Star Power | Herald - Sluggish KG: This one's on me | Celtics in Starr-ing Roles | Doc Could Coach the East | CSNNE - KG's Body is Healthy, But Not His Game | Grandfather of Tigers' Catcher Gropes Eddie Houses' Wife | ESPN Boston - Experience Doesn't Pay for Boston | WEEI - Loss to Magic Highlights Celtics Woes | Celtics Blog - Airball | Celtics Hub - Is Ray Allen Back? Is KG still Hurt? |