Observations from the Key: Is Kevin Garnett too intense?

Is Kevin Garnett too intense? Does the fire for success burn too hot inside him?

Thanks to some friendly connections, the Cornrows family was comped some nice seats, eight rows off the floor at the Key Arena last night. Natch, we opened the joint up and watched the pre-game workouts from the floor. Cornrows, Jr. and Kernel were lucky enough to have their freshly minted Kevin Durant jerseys signed by the man wunderkind himself.

The buzz around the Celtics brought a sold out crowd to the Key, so the place was rockin' early. Thinking about Seattle without the Supes drives me nuts. Clay Bennett must have the goods on David Stern, because how Stern can let this team be run so poorly in hopes of ruining local interest so they can escape town is beyond me. Surprisingly, they have a nice "Legends Lane" set up at the arena entrance we used which lays out all the proof you need of a proud and historic NBA franchise. Big ups to the crowd for the "Save Our Sonics" chants, but with the game PA antics there was always a song ready to drown out the chants.

There wre plenty of positive vibes last night, though. Starting with Ray Allen's return which prompted a couple of standing ovations. The Supes did well by Ray when they honored him for his Ray of Hope foundation work just prior to the game.

As for the game, the Supes gave the Celts a good game, but just didn't have the fire power to keep up in the end. Paul Pierce seemed hyped up to take on Kevin Durant. Pierce's line speaks for itself. To Durant's credit, he never backed down and often went right at Pierce. One play in particular was a joy to watch. Durant had the ball just outside the arc on the right wing with Pierce up tight on him. After a couple of pivots to clear space, the two were isolated and everyone move to the edge of their seat realizing Durant was gathering his game too see what he could do against Pierce. Pump fakes, then a dribble drive had Durant with a shoulder advantage to the baseline. The whistle blew as Durant began to release a little runner which trickled off the rim, keeping the roof from blowing off the building. Pierce rolled away from the play with a great smile on his face, knowing that was a manhood check for Durant and that he showed up well.

Now, back to my original question about KG's intensity. It is real and exhilarating. Not just in the pregame, not just when the game gets tight, but on each and every trip down the floor. I began wondering how KG could play at such an intense level and ever get into an offensive flow.

This was a December game in Seattle. What's he like when the games really count in May? I've always considered KG's lack of playoff success due to his running mates and opponents. But, maybe his makeup does hold him back a bit. Sounds absurd doesn't it? KG is too intense, cares too much, tries too hard. His emotions are so amped up he should be rushing the quarterback off the edge. Think Joey Porter or John Randall type of hyped.

Believe me, this is not a criticism, merely an observation. As a fan of the game, I love the juice KG brings to the court. I just can't imagine him playing at a higher level of intensity and being able to shoot the ball with any touch around the hoop. We'll have plenty of opportunities to find out because KG has the running mates now and anchors a defense that will have the Celts playing plenty of games in May, and likely June.