KG and the role of big-man coach

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4697678/kg-and-the-role-of-big-man-coach




KG and the role of big-man coach



October, 4, 2012
Oct 4
10:00
AM ET



By
Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com






Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty ImagesCeltics center

Kevin Garnett plays the role of big-man coach in Boston.The
Boston Celtics have operated without a defined big-man coach in each of
the past two seasons, but the addition of young bigs in rookies Jared
Sullinger and Fab Melo was a primary reason that coach Doc Rivers
brought Jay Larranaga on board and assigned him to the big men this
year.


Now the Celtics have two big-men coaches: Larranaga and Kevin Garnett.



While Garnett has always taken young big men under his wing, that
role has seemingly increased in recent seasons. Over the past three
years, we've seen Garnett giving private lessons to the rookies classes
of Luke Harangody and Semih Erden, and JaJuan Johnson and Greg Stiemsma,
and, now, Melo and Sullinger.



At this point, you know the rules: The young player has to listen
and be committed to applying what Garnett is stressing. If not? We'll
let Paul Pierce sum it up.



“Well, those guys don’t stick around long. Just to be honest," said
Pierce. "You have seen those guys, and they’re not around here, and you
can see why.”



After the Celtics' second practice of training camp wrapped up
earlier this week, Garnett herded together all the team's big men for a
quick tutorial on defending the pick-and-roll, and -- more importantly
-- the necessary volume with which to announce the opposition's
intentions of running the pick-and-roll (as to alert the defender on the
ball-handler).



"Kevin’s been phenomenal," said Rivers. "He’s had a big-man camp of
his own [earlier this week] and he’s done it almost every day. It’s nice
when you can tell the veterans like the young guys, you can see that."



As Rivers quickly pointed out, everyone on the team likes each other
at this point. It's whether Garnett can maintain a trust in those young
bigs, something that Erden and Stiemsma seemed to do in their time in
Boston, which allowed them to grow into key roles.



Pierce hopes the younger players understand the luxury they've been given.



“Every team doesn’t have that -- a veteran leader, a guy that’s been
around the block a few times, that’s going to really accept them, take
them under their wings, and just give them that experience," said
Pierce. "[Garnett]’s a great teacher. I mean, he’s one of the best to
ever play the game, so when Kevin Garnett talks, as a young player, who
doesn’t want to listen? And if you’re not listening, then shame on you,
because he’s one of the best who’s ever done it.”



bob


.

.....and thats the Truth and nothing but the truth