If there were any doubts about what drives Kevin Garnett as he prepares to begin his 19th NBA season, they were erased with his first answer of his Media Day appearance at Barclays Center on Monday.
“I’m here to win a ring,” Garnett said after sitting down at the podium to a standing-room-only crowd in the media room. “That’s the reason we came to Brooklyn.”
It was that desire to chase another ring — to go with the one he claimed six years ago in his first year in Boston — that pushed Garnett to agree to waive his no-trade clause in June so he could play alongside former Celtics teammates Paul Pierce and Jason Terry again, and to play for longtime friend Jason Kidd.
But after the 37-year-old walked off the floor in Boston last spring after the Knicks sent an injury-ravaged Celtics team home after six games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, Garnett wasn’t sure he would be back for a 20th season.
“My decision to play basketball was going to be solely based on whether I wanted to play or not,” Garnett said. “Whether I was able to play, the desire to play, those were all the things on me. Nothing else.”
Even with the Nets expected to cap Garnett’s minutes — most likely in the 24-26 range — it’s not at all out of the question to think Garnett is the team’s most important player heading into this season. With Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Pierce, among others, the Nets have plenty of scoring options to go to in virtually any situation.
It is Garnett, however, who is supposed to be the presence — along with defensive coordinator Lawrence Frank — behind installing the Nets’ new defensive system, one expected to be predicated greatly off what Garnett and the Celtics did so successfully. It’s also what the Nets need after finishing 18th in the league in defensive efficiency last season, according to NBA.com.
And whether Garnett can help lead that defensive makeover could be the determining factor in whether this team is a high-priced mid-tier team in the Eastern Conference, or one that can truly compete with the Heat, Pacers and Bulls to make it out of the East and contend for a title.
Garnett isn’t backing away from the lofty expectations for this team, nor are any of his teammates.
“I think our own expectations are going to exceed everybody else’s,” he said.
He also isn’t ready to back down to his new coach as far as his workload goes, either. Kidd said earlier he would like Garnett to sit out the second halves of back-to-backs this season, which would take the future Hall of Fame power forward out of 20 games.
As Kidd alluded to in his preseason press conference last week, the legendarily competitive Garnett didn’t take too kindly to that idea.
“It didn’t go too well,” Garnett said with a smile, and drawing plenty of laughs. “Just being honest.
“I understand what he said. He wants to make sure I’m durable and that I get through an 82-game season. I’m totally understanding of what it is. He’s not coming at me personally or as a man or anything like that. He’s looking to better me. I’m going to try to be receptive of that.”
Garnett agreed with Kidd’s assessment of the situation last week, when the new coach called it a “wait-and-see” approach with how Garnett is feeling.
“That’s very fair to say,” Garnett said before adding with a smile, “I just don’t want to be … told anything.
“I think I’ve earned the right to have an opinion in something that I’m doing. But more importantly, and more seriously, from a chemistry standpoint I think it’s important for me to be out there with everybody, and speed the chemistry process up a little quicker.”