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Now that the NBA has decided to suspend Kevin Garnett for Game 2 of the Celtics series with the Heat, Doc Rivers has a decision to make. If form holds from this season, Rasheed Wallace will get the call to start for Garnett.
Wallace has started every game that Garnett has missed due to injury or coach-ordered rest, but now is not the time to play it safe. Rivers should start Glen Davis instead.
Davis overcame a shaky first half in Game 1 to put together a solid eight point, eight rebound effort with almost all of that production coming in a decisive second-half Celtic run. Wallace didn’t play poorly, but Davis was a difference-maker. Starting Davis would be a reward for his inspired play and also better utilize Wallace’s versatility to play both the four and five spots.
WEEI - Time to call on Big Baby
While Paul Flannery makes a solid case for starting Glen Davis, that switch removes a ton of energy from the second unit. Doc should play it safe, start 'Sheed and keep Davis on the bench. Right?
On Page 2, the Heat are looking for more out of Michael Beasley.
While Kevin Garnett was tugging at his wrist, grabbing his shorts, knocking down his arm while out of the sight of the referees, Beasley remained unaffected, so calm he almost looked medicated.
He was in a different place, it appeared, and it was commendable for the second-year forward whose emotions are normally quite evident and occasionally his downfall.
But it resulted in nothing.
Six points. Eight rebounds. Two assists. Five turnovers. Zero free throws. Zero blocks. Zero steals. In a physical game, he committed one foul. In a fourth quarter where Dwyane Wade was practically begging for assistance, Beasley had one made shot, two missed shots and one turnover.
With KG out, Beasley does pose a match-up problem for the Celtics. As Sherrod Blakely points out in this column, Beasley is too quick for Rasheed Wallace and too long for Glen Davis. Quite frankly, I'm really not worried about Mike.
Globe - Heat now realize they're in for a fight | Garnett suspended | Herald - Captain says shoulder is fine | Pierce not lured in by Richardson talk | KG has no regrets | Apology not part of Richardson vocab | CSNNE - Emotion raised by incident is good for Cs | KG no longer the head man | ESPN Boston - Davis ready to reprise role | Celtics Hub - Video history of flying elbows |