Lionel Hollins expects Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Garnett to play more

Brooklyn Nets’ coach Lionel Hollins expects Kevin Garnett to play more.

Last season, Brooklyn Nets’ big man Kevin Garnett missed 28 games due to various injuries and to just give him a chance to rest. The Nets tried to limit Garnett’s minutes as well. He played just 20.5 minutes per game, down from his career average of 35.5 minutes per game.

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Now that Jason Kidd is with the Milwaukee Bucks and Lionel Hollins is in Brooklyn, Garnett is expected to play more minutes.

“I do expect him to play more,” Hollins said on Sunday. “He’s been in great shape. Mentally, he’s very sharp. And we’d like to see him contribute more than 18-20 minutes per game.”

Of course, that’s if Garnett can handle more time, which may not be possible.

Last year, Kevin Garnett averaged just 6.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from the field and 80.9% from the free throw line during the regular season. During the playoffs, he wasn’t much better, putting up 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 52.4% from the field and 73.9% from the charity stripe. He’s put up 18.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 rebounds per game while shooting 49.7% from the floor, 27.7% from beyond the arc and 79.0% from the foul line in his 19-year career.

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