Garnett’s health will determine whether Celtics are good or great

You can go in several directions on how the Boston Celtics met the end of their 2008-09 season in a seven-game loss to the Orlando Magic: lack of depth on the bench, aging key players, or…Kevin GarnettKevin Garnett’s absence from the playoffs.

When Garnett starting limping badly in a game at Utah last February, his injury surely shook the foundation of the franchise for the rest of the season. Boston wasn’t its dominant self ever since, going 18-8 after falling to 44-12 with the loss to the Jazz. 18-8 is still a good finish, but a huge struggle with a fairly average Chicago Bulls squad showed that a Garnett-less Celtics team is vulnerable. There was no inside presence to dominate down the stretch and defensive in the paint to stop an eventual shellacking by Dwight HowardDwight Howard in the conference semifinals.

Now the Mean Green are back with hopes of repeating its success from the 2007-08 season in which they won the NBA title. Boston didn’t reenter the scene alone, though. The acquisition of Rasheed WallaceRasheed Wallace (probably the biggest of all free-agent grabs this offseason) is a major boost for the team’s frontcourt with or without Garnett. Marquis DanielsMarquis Daniels will also be a major help off the bench, but none will compare to just how near 100 percent Kevin Garnett is from knee surgery. His health will have an impact on how far the Celtics go this season.

When Garnett was on the court, Boston just had the intensity, defensive prowess and grit to compete and decimate any lineup (even the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers). Garnett, who could have retained his Defensive Player of the Year award had he played all season, commands the court and as much respect as anyone in the game today. It is he that makes Ray AllenRay Allen that much more dangerous from the 3-point line, Paul PiercePaul Pierce that much more of a threat on the perimeter. One could say he helps make most of his teammates better than they already are (Kendrick PerkinsKendrick Perkins a strong example).

But when Garnett is not in his jersey and trunks with his teammates, the Celtics are scratching and clawing just to compete with Cleveland and Orlando, the only two threats to them in the Eastern Conference. Proof’s in the standings: the Celtics were 54-11 with Kevin Garnett in the lineup, 8-9 without him. Overall, Boston is 111-25 with No. 5, 17-12 with him out. That draws a serious line in the sand as to whether they can topple the competition or just merely survive it.

While the Cavaliers got Shaquille O’Neal to contend with Dwight Howard and the Magic got Vince CarterVince Carter to be more versatile on offense, Boston just wanted to get bigger, deeper and badder than before. This may be a better lineup than even the championship team they boasted in 2008, but all Boston fans know how much Kevin Garnett means to that team, defensively and otherwise. The Celtics overcame the Cavaliers and the Lakers to win the NBA title and could very well do so again this year. But whether or not Garnett is fully able to contribute his usually heavy-sized skills on both sides of the court makes the difference. With him, they are the team to beat. Without him, they are a team that can and will be beaten.