Big Baby Steps

Big Baby is swarmed after hitting the biggest shot of his career. (AP Photo)

The Big Ticket. Mr. Big Shot. Big Shot Rob. The Big Aristotle. These nicknames represent some of the best to ever set foot on an NBA basketball court. Some of the most clutch performers to ever lace 'em up. And after watching last night's game, I'm adding another name to this pantheon of players: Big Baby. Say what you will about the level to which Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins have risen this season, but no one has come even close to matching the jump in skill and basketball IQ that Glen Davis has. Rondo and Perk were starters last year, albeit starters with very little experience. Davis was a bench guy who played some minutes in key games, but wasn't nearly as reliable as he's become this year. While it may have shaved several months off my lifespan, losing Kevin Garnett for the playoffs may have been one of the best things to ever happen to this team.

Before you get yourselves worked up about that last comment try to remember that, had Garnett not been injured, Big Baby would still be logging 10-12 minutes off the bench, scoring a half dozen points here, grabbing 4 rebounds there. He would be nowhere near the player he is today, nor would the Celtics have had him in the game to hit the winning shot over Orlando. Don't get me wrong. Rajon Rondo is playing the best basketball of his life, and will only get better. He will be one of the top 3 point guards in the NBA until he retires. And Perkins has become a beast inside, legitimately challenging every big man in the league, while learning the discipline it takes to go toe-to-toe with guys who are a half-step quicker or an inch taller. However, Big Baby has stepped up in so many ways, come through in enough clutch situations, I'm starting to wonder what it is that Garnett imparts to him each time the camera pans to find him speaking into Baby's ear. Make no mistake, losing Garnett may very well be the thing that keeps the Celtics from beating Cleveland and advancing to the NBA Finals. But, even in a impeccably-tailored suit, Garnett has helped transform Davis from a rookie into a bonafide sixth-man, capable of taking big shots in key moments.

Let's back up a bit to earlier in the season, prior to Garnett going down. After Baby made a critical mistake in a game against the Trailblazers, he sought refuge on the bench, away from the coaches and his teammates. But there was Garnett, grabbing him by the elbow and dragging im over to the huddle. While Davis may have been reduced to tears by the tongue lashing KG gave him, the message was clear: you're a part of a team, and if your teammates can't depend on you, you're nothing. I believe this was a key moment in the evolution of Glen Davis. From that point on, no matter what mistakes he made or how intense the action was, Baby kept a level head, kept KG's lesson in the front of his mind, and became a better player for it. And, when the Celtics needed him to step in for the injured Garnett, he did so and proved a capable replacement. Let's not forget that, up until the last three games of the season, Garnett was projected to return, albeit in a reduced capacity, and Davis was headed back to the bench. But, fate decided that Big Baby's time was now, and without him helping the anchor the Celtics front-court, they may have already been eliminated.

Glen Davis isn't Kevin Garnett. He doesn't pose the defensive threat KG does, nor does he intimidate opponents like KG. But he does play solid defense for a guy nearing 300 pounds, he can shoot a decent outside shot and has good all-around basketball skills. And he's only in his second year. While losing Garnett may be the blow that keeps the Celtics from repeating, what they've gained in Davis as a player cannot be quantified. So, when the Celtics are down by a point with 10 seconds remaining, and Pierce, Ray Allen and Eddie House are on the floor, keep your eye on the stocky 6'9" guy running through screens and setting pick-and-rolls. 'Cause he might just save the day in a Big Baby way.

Comments

[Derek Hixon]

Now all I hope for is that the Celtics re-sign him. He's not prototypical in any sense of the word, but neither is Dustin Pedroia for that matter. He's a hard worker and former SEC Player of the year. He has the pedigree, and with the tutelage of KG, Doc, Paul, and Ray Ray we may be calling him "Big Man" before all is said and done.

[Kris]

I have to think he hasn't even reached his apex yet. He's been playing the league two years. If they keep him, he could end up being an All-Star, or winning the Sixth-Man award...

[Bill]

I love that Big Baby totally plows over that kid in the replay above.

[Derek Hixon]

Here you go Bill :)

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1171965