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LA Clippers: Why Kevin Garnett would be perfect for L.A.’s staff

By Tom West

Jan 2, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) reacts to a shot in warmups before the game with the Milwaukee Bucks at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) reacts to a shot in warmups before the game with the Milwaukee Bucks at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett reacts as he hits his head on a pad prior to the start of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett reacts as he hits his head on a pad prior to the start of the game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Instilling the KG mentality

The LA Clippers have admitted the mental issues they’ve had in the past. A serious lack of depth, fatigue, and injury to Chris Paul (that forced even more minutes and pressure on the likes of Blake Griffin) was a major reason for the collapse in the 2015 playoffs, but there’s no doubt that mentality was to blame in part, too.

After taking a 3-1 lead against the Houston Rockets and having a 19-point lead in the third quarter of Game 6, there’s no way the Clippers or anyone else would tell you that the Clips shouldn’t have won. That much is simple. And while there are other factors to always be considered, mentality has a real impact.

Blake Griffin talked about the mental element of breaking through in the playoffs on J.J. Redick’s podcast this summer, and stressed the need to just keep playing naturally, no matter the circumstance:

"“I think part of it, too, is just having that team where you just go out and you just do it… No matter what the series is at, no matter how much you’re down by, you just have to keep playing. Doc talks to us about it all the time, you’re never out of a game.”"

During an appearance on The Jonah Keri Podcast last week, Redick again talked about mentality and what Doc always preaches to the Clippers: be “clutter free” (freeing the mind of all distractions to play naturally and at east):

"“But there’s always factors. I think the best way to sum it up would be how do we, as the Clippers, get to ‘clutter free’? Doc talks about it all the time. But how do we get to clutter free? I don’t think we’re there yet. The Warriors have been clutter free for two years. They’re the epitome of clutter free… Like, Steph Curry is the freest of all life forms… It’s magic. He’s just a free spirit out on the court, and so how do you get to that point as a group? That’s the challenge we have.”"

Garnett emerged as second the best, and arguably the best for some (not everyone would choose Tim Duncan), power forward in history during his 21-year career. He’s one of the first (and best) players to make the leap straight from high school to the NBA. And growing up in the league, experiencing so much because of that and all his years and playoff trips, he has a wealth of wisdom and skill to share with the Clippers.

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He knows how to win, and he knows the mindset a player needs to maximize their potential, especially on defense.

Plus, Garnett is renowned for his intensity. On the court and, well, in his craziness. The tales of Garnett are brilliant, from the headbutts, to the trash talking, to the off-court stories, captivating how unique a player and character he was, which remind us that we’ll never see another player like him.

Garnett would impart technical basketball wisdom with the Clippers, but he has an ideal mentality to help the team continue its defensive improvement and reach that mental space of playing “clutter free.”

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