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Kevin Garnett can’t seem to find his rhythm on offense during Nets disappointing season.
SAN ANTONIO – This was supposed to be Kevin Garnett’s easiest season, his cruise to the playoffs on a team of stars.
Instead, the 19-year veteran admitted that it has been the most frustrating of his career.
For the first time in this season of disappointment, Garnett opened up about his personal struggles following Wednesday’s practice. It was a rare moment of introspection from Garnett, with an admission that he is unsure of his role on offense and a hint that he believes age is hindering his game.
“The most frustrating thing about me is I could see if wasn’t hitting shots and I wasn’t in here working or taking (expletive) days off,” Garnett said. “I put time into my craft for it to come out, but then that’s rhythm on offense. And I don’t have that right now.”
Garnett is coming off a two-point effort in Tuesday’s blowout loss to the Spurs, leaving him with an average of 6.5 points on 36 percent shooting. He has been settling for jumpers and missing them – including the wide open ones.
His dropoff from last season with the Celtics has been dramatic, a decline in every category. Somehow, the uniform change from green to black has taken years off his game. Coach Jason Kidd said Wednesday that the reason Garnett is on a minutes restriction is “to get him through the season.”
“Nobody likes to lose. I’m not a loser. But I show up every day and I try to be a professional and give everything I have,” said Garnett, who is averaging a career-low 21.5 minutes. “You put Father Time on top of that. It doesn’t help anything else. And knick knacks and injuries and stuff like that and guys going out. It’s just a frustrating time.
“But you know what? I’ve been through some harder times than this. I have a lot confidence that I’ll come out of this, and we’ll come out of this with some decency.”
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Paul Pierce (l.) and KG are supposed to bring a culture change to Brooklyn.
Garnett reiterated that he was brought to the Nets to be a role player, a secondary option on offense. But the Nets traded three first-round draft picks to acquire him and Paul Pierce, characterizing the move as a culture changer and the final piece to a championship puzzle.
With the Nets (10-21) a disaster and Brook Lopez out for the season, focus has shifted to his replacement at center – Garnett – the surefire Hall of Famer who still doesn’t know where he fits in Kidd’s system.
“Honestly, I have no rhythm. I’m trying to establish some confidence and figure this whole, ‘Where I fit into the offense’ thing,” he said. “Right now I’m just not even a priority. I’m trying to be more of a defensive-minded guy. … So I probably need to be a lot more aggressive. Right now my mental is more defensive right now than offense.”
Kidd, whose team is 1-4 since Lopez broke his foot, said he hasn’t lost confidence in Garnett’s shot. The 15-time All-Star is shooting just 30.3 percent inside the paint and 34.8 percent from mid-range.
The Nets are at the Thunder (25-6) on Thursday before a four-game homestand.
“He’s getting great looks. Some of them haven’t gone in, but we all believe as a team that they will,” the coach said. “I think some of those shots that we all know he can make just haven’t gone in for him up to this point and we all believe in Oklahoma they will.”
Even with Garnett’s struggles, there’s an understanding that a sudden jolt in his offense isn’t going to save the Nets, who’ve looked incurable for most of the season.
Garnett was asked to pinpoint the team’s biggest problem. It’s an impossible task.
“I have no idea. We have multiple issues,” he said. “Right now I’m trying to make sure that eventually I’m able to give something.”
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