Hi again, let me say a bit about KG

Haven't been blogging much because I'm working on learning Ruby.  I've spent too much time writing about code lately, and not enough doing it, and the rust is getting visible.  Last week in an interview I botched a question on binary trees that I used to use myself as an interviewer.

Quick word about Kevin Garnett.  Maybe this relates to inefficient markets.  Actually, it's about Tim Duncan, too.  Classic discussion in the freshmen dorms:  who do you pick first on the playground?  KG, or Duncan?

The idiots always say "Well, TD of course.  He's won a bajillion titles."

The smart guys say that it doesn't fucking matter if the guy going second gets to pick twice in a row and Manu Ginobli (or Tony Parker) are the only other pros left on the playground.

Seriously.  I cannot tell you how often I've heard pundits babble on about how TD is a "winner".  Bobby Simmons once wrote that TD never would have missed the playoffs with the same supporting cast as KG.  Riiiiiiiiight.  That's why Ricky Davis and Mark Blount are doing sooooo well now that they're teaming up with "winners" like Shaq, DWade and Pat Riley.  Seriously, Wilt fucking Chamberlain could not have made the playoffs with that wolves team last year.

And the insinuation that any team with Kevin Garnett, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker would not completely destroy the competition is frankly just embarrassing.  He won 60 with Sam and Latrell, and wouldn't with those two!?  REALLY?!?  I know all you league pundits like to overrate the ridiculously ineffective Bruce Bowen for all his "intangibles", but come on.   No, really.  Stop it, now.

So Kevin Garnett gets to play with Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, last year's best rookie, Rajon Rondo, and the under-rated James Posey.  And the celtics are tearing up the league!  WHAT A SHOCK.  I WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED THIS.  NO, REALLY, I AM VERY STUNNED.

"I can't believe it!  I never thought he was this good!" gasps the surprised babble.  Fans in Boston want to put his jersey in the rafters.  "But I thought he wasn't a winner!"  they shout. I'm sorry, but you just don't randomly lead the fucking league in rebounding if you aren't a winner.  Scoring, sure.  Rebounding, no.  Just no.

Seriously, everyone who's watched more than 10 Timberwolves games in the last decade is listening to everyone rave about how "shockingly" good KG is and thinking, in that accent you know from Fargo:

"Um, DUH!?"