Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

I didn’t want to write this column.

It has nothing to do with the disappointment of letting a pair of winnable games slip away. It has nothing to do with working on only 4 ½ hours of sleep because of the NBA’s ridiculously late start times. And it has nothing to do with starting to type this article a mere half hour before deadline because I made the silly decision to play in a charity golf tournament the morning after getting only 4 ½ hours of sleep because I stayed up stewing over the fact the Boston Celtics lost a winnable Game 5 that started at a ridiculously late hour.

No, the reason I didn’t want to write this column is because I’ve been hoping beyond hope that Kevin Garnett would step up and play the kind of game that would make writing this column a dumber decision than playing in that golf tournament. Unfortunately, the column now has to be written.

You see, I’ve come to understand the belief in NBA circles that Kevin Garnett doesn’t have the makeup to be “The Man” on a championship team. Not only do I understand it, I now agree with it.

It pains me to say that, because I love Kevin Garnett. He is my favorite player on the Celtics roster. He is the main reason the C’s completed a miraculous turnaround from 24-win doormat to 66-win juggernaut. Make no mistake: no KG, no chance at a championship.

And yet, as we wait for Boston to close out the Lakers, we must also admit that #5 isn’t the one who’s going to carry his team to banner #17. That task will fall to Paul Pierce. Or possibly, Ray Allen.

It’s not KG’s fault people expect a player making over $20-million a year to take the big shot with title games on the line. It’s not KG’s fault all of Boston has been waiting for him to pull a Cedric Maxwell and tell his teammates to hop on his back because he’s going to carry them to a title. And it’s certainly not KG’s fault Maxwell himself made the idiotic statement that Garnett is a better player than Larry Bird. KG is what he is: a future Hall of Famer, a frighteningly fierce competitor, a consummate teammate and a consummate professional.

What he isn’t is Larry Bird. Or Magic Johnson. Or Michael Jordan. Or Tim Duncan. Or even Dwayne Wade. All of the above WANTED the ball at crunch time. DEMANDED it. SHOT it. And more often than not, MADE it go in the hoop. They didn’t grab an offensive rebound at the side of the basket, as Garnett did in Game 7 against Atlanta, and pass it all the way out to half court so a second year point guard like Rajon Rondo could reset the offense. And they certainly didn’t miss a pair of free throws in the waning moments of a two-point game that could clinch a title.

You know what else about all those greats I mentioned? They all had a signature moment. That game you remember. That play immortalized in old highlight reels. That “hop on my back” sequence most closely associated with his team winning a title.

What’s Garnett’s signature moment? It was Paul Pierce who carried the C’s to victory over LeBron in Game 7. Pierce who led the 4th quarter comeback during the clincher in Detroit. Ray Allen who iced the magnificent Game 4 comeback over the Lakers. Heck, even James Posey, Eddie House and Leon Powe had their “moments.” KG hasn’t, and I’m afraid no matter how long we wait for it to happen, it’s just not in him.

Game 6 taps off Tuesday night at another foolish hour. It’s Kevin Garnett’s chance to make writing this column another foolish idea. I still hope he does so.

What are your thoughts about Kevin Garnett's performance during the NBA Finals and playoffs? Do you expect more? Or are you happy with what you've gotten so far?