Kevin Garnett Out With Knee Strain

There are certain risks that come with fielding a star-studded team of veterans at the expense of depth. Foul trouble and injury are the biggest concerns. If you don't have much behind your front firepower, losing any measure of your stars results in an unfortunate wrangling of already depleted assets to make up the difference.

Say hello to Doc Rivers' problem for the next two to three weeks.

After Tony Allen went down with thumb surgery, after the Celtics traded Sam Cassell and Patrick O'Bryant (vaunted contributer that he was) off for cap relief, and after Paul Pierce has alternated between his usual brilliance and struggling with a knee that has plagued him the whole season, the Celtics were still in good shape for the post-All-Star-Break rush.

But after Kevin Garnett came down with a knee tweak against the Jazz on Thursday, it turns out they might be in a bit of a jam for a few weeks.

The Celtics announced today that Garnett would miss two to three weeks with a strained muscle behind his knee. The injury isn't considered serious, to the point that Garnett actually wants to play through it. Needless to say, Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge aren't too keen on that plan.

The good news is that Garnett's only missing two weeks. And in a season full of Andrew Bynum's knee, Amar'e Stoudemire's eye, and the professional basketball team known as the Milwaukee Bucks of 2008-2009, that's a blip in the dark, not a mushroom cloud. But still, it's a concern when an already shallow team loses arguably its biggest gun.

The Celtics have looked mortal this season, and while still clearly in the upper echelon of the league, are clinging to the "save it for the playoffs" mentality that's worked well for veteran teams in the past. But with the Cavaliers' ascension this season and home court advantage throughout the playoffs on the line, not to mention the recent losses to Los Angeles, Cleveland, and San Antonio (not to mention Utah), the Celtics are going to need absolutely huge performances from a supporting cast that hasn't been very big at all this season.