Garnett had a strong desire to compete, but Malone wasn't in a hurry to put him on the court.
On one hand, when they played against the Heat, Malone had tasted success with a small-ball lineup, and he was now testing it out in the game, so he wasn't eager to put Garnett in.
On the other hand, and more importantly, he was carefully considering a veteran who had reached the twilight of his career.
Garnett's skills were still intact, it was just that ever since his right knee ligament tore in '09, his knee had become his biggest obstacle.
Not only had it caused him to lose his explosiveness, his speed had also significantly decreased, and now he no longer had the ability to sweep across the defensive end extensively.
As he aged, his attendance rate started to slide; last season he only played 54 games, and so far this season, just 42.
