Chapter 276: I’m Always on a Superteam.
Kevin Garnett's desire to play was intense, but Coach Malone wasn't in a rush to put him on the court.
On one hand, the five-out lineup had worked wonders against the Heat, and Malone was still experimenting with it in games, making Garnett's debut less of a priority.
On the other hand — and more importantly — Malone was cautious about using a veteran at the tail end of his career.
Garnett's skills were still there. But after tearing his right knee ligament in 2009, his legs had never fully recovered. His knee had become his biggest hurdle, robbing him of his explosiveness and slowing him down significantly.
Gone were the days when he could patrol the entire court on defense, covering large swathes of space. His age had also started catching up with him, with his availability becoming a concern. Last season, he played only 54 games, and this season, he'd suited up for just 42 so far.
From a pure performance standpoint, Bargnani was still the better player this season. But the Cavs traded him for Garnett because they feared Bargnani might choke under pressure, much like Chris Paul had in critical moments.
If they rushed Garnett back and he got hurt, the trade would've been for nothing.
The Cavaliers' first opponent after the trade deadline was the Washington Wizards.
With John Wall and Bradley Beal both growing into stars, the Wizards had become an Eastern Conference threat. They were performing even better this season, sitting at fifth in the East.
Their most notable roster change was swapping Trevor Ariza for Paul Pierce as their starting small forward.
This game had an interesting storyline.