Kevin Garnett is about five months older than we are, which makes the fact that he is in such visible decline as an NBA player rather disturbing.
Yes, we all get to that age athletically.
With Boston, KG was never quite the dominant player he was in Minnesota. He settled into a great veteran niche -- 15 points, eight rebounds, great defense and all the savvy you could want every game.
With the Nets, at least through the first 11 games of a rough 3-8 start, the rug has been pulled out.
KG went from superstar with the Wolves to veteran cog with Boston to looking over the hill in Brooklyn.
His numbers through 11 games: 6.6 points, 7.8 rebounds in about 23 minutes per game. He's playing less, but even if you look at the production per 36 minutes, it's way down -- 18.3 points per 36 minutes during his career in Boston vs. 10.7 with the Nets. He's shooting 34 percent from the field, and he's not getting to the free throw line.
Maybe it's all part of learning a new system and KG's numbers will trend upward as he gets more comfortable. There was some evidence of that the other night in a 16-point, 8-rebound game -- the first time he had cracked double-digits in scoring all season. But he followed that with a game in which he attempted just two shots in 21 minutes. The Nets, by the way, lost both.
We'll see if playing his old team tonight at Target Center rekindles the flame. You never count out someone like Garnett, even if the evidence points to the contrary.
