National Basketball Association

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

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Kevin Garnett has joined the LA Clippers’ training camp and Doc Rivers wants him to join the team’s staff, so here’s a look at how Garnett could help the Clippers.

Jan 2, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; LA Clippers practice guest and 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

LA Clippers fans received an interesting surprise when they learned that the recently retired Hall of Famer to-be Kevin Garnett attended the team’s training camp on Thursday. He was joining in with practice, working with Blake Griffin individually, and generally imparting some of his wisdom and basketball IQ with the team. Garnett returned Friday, too. It helps support Doc Rivers’ intention of bringing Garnett to the Clippers’ staff in some shape or form, as Doc has strongly expressed how much he’d like for his former Boston Celtics player to join the team.

Dan Woike of the Orange County Register reported just how pleased Doc was with Garnett’s “teaching clinic” on Thursday:

In fact, Doc holds Garnett in such high esteem (as everyone should) that he’s offered Garnett, who has a home in Malibu, an open invitation to mentor the Clippers and train with them whenever he likes in the season:

Will Garnett actually leave retirement so soon for a role as an assistant coach (which sounds unlikely when considering Doc’s comments and those of Garnett in the past) or a trainer? Or anything that would get him to work with the team officially? Who knows. We can’t be sure yet. But there’s no denying him participating in the Clippers’ training so soon is at least a good sign, and an invitation to do so again if he wishes.

As we consider the possibility, here’s a look at why Garnett is a perfect fit for the staff and what he can bring to the team.

Jan 16, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett (2) hugs Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (34) prior to their game at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Strong relationships

The obvious factor tying Kevin Garnett to the LA Clippers is the established relationships he has.

Doc Rivers is clearly eager to reunite after being Garnett’s head coach for the Celtics’ championship in 2008, and on that team with the two was Clipper Paul Pierce. Who, after his recent announcement, will be staying with the Clippers for one final season.

If there was any extra incentive for Garnett to join a team’s coaching staff right away, rather than spending a year completely away from the game, being able to spend a season with someone close to him like Pierce could be that extra incentive.

The two had talked about retiring together, and while that may no longer be an option, Pierce would still benefit from Garnett’s companionship and he certainly wouldn’t hesitate to argue just how wise and impactful KG’s presence would be for the Clippers.

Dan Woike reported how Jamal Crawford felt when Garnett checked into the team’s practice on Thursday, and his description of “being a sponge” around Garnett would be the case for everyone on the roster, rookies and veterans alike:

Doc and his players know how helpful Garnett would be, both from a technical and mental standpoint. If Garnett wants to stay involved with basketball in some manner, in whatever role that may be, the long-time relationships he has with members of the Clippers is something he won’t necessarily find elsewhere.

Next, the importance of Garnett influencing the team’s mentality.

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:

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):

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.

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.”

Dec 7, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) drives past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett (21) during the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Working with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan

As Doc said, Kevin Garnett put on a “teaching clinic” during the LA Clippers’ Thursday practice. He was joining the team for all their drills, and once practice came to an end, he immediately went to work with Blake Griffin.

Others watched or got involved, including rookies Diamond Stone and Brice Johnson, and Garnett worked one-to-one with Griffin in the post.

Garnett was teaching Griffin moves in the post, fighting for position, boxing out effectively, and likely some defensive tips from the post, too. Garnett has countless knowledge at this point of his life after influencing the power forward position as an agile defender outside, smooth jump shooter, passer, and ferocious defender.

He helped change the perception of what big men could be and what they could do on the court. And as one of the top power forwards ever, there could hardly be anyone better for Griffin to learn from.

If there’s an area of his game Griffin needs to improve, it’s defense. It’s hard to imagine him becoming a great shot blocker at this point of his career, despite the tremendous athleticism he possesses, but there’s no doubt he could improve in other areas. Sometimes he’s unfairly criticized when he’s still a strong force in the post, and has improved recently when keeping opposing bigs out the paint and holding his own down low.

Having a Hall of Fame power forward like Garnett share his IQ and intensity, fine tuning Griffin’s defense in the post, working on positioning, learning when to contend a shot or hold back, and how to cover pick-and-rolls effectively is such a valuable asset.

Garnett was back at the Clippers’ practice on Friday as well, this time seen working with DeAndre Jordan in the post. As the kind of big man mentor that Jordan won’t have had otherwise, Garnett gives fans far better hope of Jordan expanding offensively.

Hopefully for Griffin, Jordan, and the LA Clippers as a whole, Garnett may join the team as an assistant or trainer so these masterclasses aren’t just a rare occurrence. At the very least, the team will hope he pops by often with the invite from Doc.

September 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Brice Johnson (10) speaks during media day at Clipper Training Facility in Playa Vista. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

A mentor for Brice Johnson

If there’s one man who can help maximize Brice Johnson’s defensive ability by pushing his intensity, teaching him how to be a rookie in the NBA, how to approach the game as a professional, and simply mentoring the growth on his skill set, it’s Kevin Garnett.

You’d be hard pressed to find a better power forward’s footsteps to follow, except for maybe Tim Duncan. Garnett is one of the craziest competitors the NBA has ever seen, and not only because he’s crazy at times. He’s always been a fierce player and he’s one of the best defenders to take to the court, possessing a rare combination of agility, deceptive strength and length.

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Last season, it was Karl-Anthony Towns who got to benefit from playing under the mentorship of Garnett. The brightest young star in the game had one of the best minds to learn from, and there’s no doubt that entering the league into such a situation with Garnett to learn from helped Towns from both a technical standpoint and mental standpoint.

Garnett could serve in a similar role with the LA Clippers and Brice Johnson, even though Garnett wouldn’t be taking to the court.

Johnson’s future may not be as All-Star and possibly MVP-filled as Towns’, but he would still benefit from the kind of mentorship that Towns had with Garnett in Minnesota.

In a tougher situation playing behind both Blake Griffin and Brandon Bass, Johnson won’t crack the rotation nearly as easily as unanimous Rookie of the Year KAT.

But, nevertheless, to help Johnson develop and become the kind of first-round pick that can eventually become a more integral part of the Clippers, not to mention rookie center Diamond Stone as well, Garnett joining the staff makes a lot of sense.

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There are so many benefits to Garnett joining the LA Clippers in some manner, and there are personal connections, not to mention the team as contenders, that make them intriguing to join from Garnett’s perspective. Even if he doesn’t want to get involved as an assistant coach, Garnett would be perfect in L.A. as a trainer or in any role that would let his presence and wisdom rub off on the players. Hopefully for L.A., that will capture KG’s interest.

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