Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Garnett has sat out 10 straight ballgames, and he has no idea when his balky back will allow him to play again. The 37-year old KG admits that he’s at a loss when it comes to the injury, which happened in a win against the Denver Nuggets on Feb.27. Per the Bergen Record:
Garnett said that his condition went “downhill” sine then, but over the last five days he’s been “improving.” He hopes to return “soon.”
“The most frustrating part about this is that you just can’t push through this,” Garnett said, speaking to reporters for the first time in more than three weeks. “The back … deals with the legs, the lower part of your body, the core, your hand movements, your breathing, a lot of it comes into play.
“So it’s not like an ankle where I can muscle through it, or a knee or an arm, neck, something. This is damn near your [entire] body, and I have a whole new respect for the body.”
Garnett is set to miss Friday’s home game against the Celtics. Then, the Nets leave on a three-game road trip to Dallas, New Orleans and Charlotte. Garnett said he’s unsure if he’ll be able to make that trip. But he says he’s been working with Andrei Kirilenko, who missed 25 games because of back spasms earlier this season, to make sure he doesn’t come back too soon.
“AK’s been through this,” Garnett said. “He’s helped me through all of this process. It’s not like an ankle or knee or something … I have so much respect for the back now. … I have a newfound respect for it all. Through this whole thing I’ve been learning and learning, and it’s been helping my process and helping me not be so frustrated and I feel like I’m getting better and stronger.”
While he’s been out, Garnett said he’s been watching carefully as the team has gone 8-2 without him. Garnett said he’s been especially proud of rookie Mason Plumlee, who has started all 10 games in the veteran’s place.
“Mason I think is growing,” Garnett said. “These are minutes, [priceless] minutes that he couldn’t get in practice or any other type of situation, so I’m happy and proud of how the guys are playing together, but more importantly for Mason and for his progression.”
