Kevin Garnett wants to see more from the Celtics before he places them at the top of the Eastern Conference.
On the latest episode of Garnett’s Showtime program, “KG Certified,” the NBA Hall of Famer didn’t include the Celtics in his list of the top four teams in the East. Instead, Garnett named the 76ers, Bucks, Cavaliers, and Nets. Brooklyn is 2-5 this season and an absolute dumpster fire.
Paul Pierce, who’s a regular guest on the show, questioned his former teammate. Garnett said his trepidation about the Celtics comes down to Robert Williams III’s uncertain status.
“I look at it on paper. On paper, the 76ers and the additions to that team look unbelievable,” said Garnett. “You know what I’m saying? And that’s what I was gauging. Then, on top of it having Giannis, Middleton, and those guys, Middleton ain’t even back, you know? So I’m looking at the league like that. If they didn’t have Rob Williams to clog the middle, I didn’t know if Al Horford was healthy.”
The 76ers, who acquired James Harden last season and signed gritty veteran P.J. Tucker last offseason, may boast the best starting five in the conference. But Philadelphia hasn’t demonstrated it can win in the playoffs. The Celtics defeated the Sixers on opening night.
Still, Garnett, who also mentioned Ime Udoka’s suspension, said he’s still taking Philly. He says he wants to see if the Celtics can fill Williams’ spot. The game-changing big man underwent knee surgery at then end of September, and is expected to miss up to 12 weeks.
“I told you, the Rob Williams piece out of that was a big question mark,” said Garnett. “Who was going to fill the five? I didn’t know Malcolm was going to come here. They’ve actually got a deeper bench this year. So yeah, from that, I had to see it first.”
The Celtics are 4-2 this season.