On Thursday, the Lakers won Game 1 pretty easily due to their aggressiveness and ability to exploit the Celtics’ age through owning the paint on offense and defense. Other than aggressiveness, the rest seems pretty objective, right? What I mean is, if the Celtics are too old and they aren’t as big as the Lakers, then can they overcome that in any other game this series?

Doesn’t sound like it to me, and doesn’t sound like it to Lakers forward Pau Gasol. But does it sound like it to anyone else in the NBA? (Because it shouldn’t.)

If you read the NBA headlines this weekend, you were probably surprised to hear Pau Gasol talk trash about Kevin Garnett saying he lost some explosiveness. Although, it seems this was a molding of the media that allowed a quiet person become the target of an innocent fact. That fact being that KG is not as quick as he used to be. FACT.

Here is Pau Gasol’s extended quote, which will help you understand the context that it was made in:

“[Garnett] is more of a jump shooter now you could say. He comes off the lane. On Kevin’s part, he’s also lost some explosiveness. Before he had a really, really quick first step and was getting to the lane and he was more aggressive then. Time passes and we all suffer it one way or another, but he’s still a terrific player, a terrific competitor and he’s going to bring everything he’s got.”

So is Gasol really taking a cheap shot at KG? No, not at all. What he said was not only true, but it was also quite evident in Thursday’s Game 1. This was part of my assessment during my Game 1 wrap-up which proclaimed the difference between the 2008 Finals and the 2010 Finals. In 2008, the Celtics took it to the hole and in 2010 they are settling for jump shots. A big part of this change is the lack of ‘explosiveness’ from Garnett. Anyone who watched Game 1 will recall KG trying to simply drop in a ball in front of the rim and he missed twice. Case and point.

Now, I’m not even going to get into the subject of the media trying to create something out of nothing here. Like I said, KG losing a step in his game is a fact. I’m sure he would admit it as well, as long as he isn’t snarling at anyone (I hate that so much). What I am wondering though, is if KG will take this as a cheap shot.

Will this motivate him to pick it up in Game 2 through possibly 7?

Motivate him, maybe. But will he be able to actually make a difference? I’m going to stick by my guns and say Garnett can’t handle it.

-Shooter