The Boston Globe reports today that Boston Celtics superstar--who was recently named one of Esquire's 75 Best People in the World--is well on his way to returning from last year's knee injuries to help the Boston Celtics contend for a championship this season. For now, though, the Celtics staff is taking a cautious approach to his immersion into the game.

From the Globe:

“Kevin looks good, he’s in here working out every day,’’ Ainge said yesterday from the team’s practice facility in Waltham. “He’s doing his training, but he’s not playing full-court basketball yet.

“We’re taking it as slow and as cautious as we can with him. He’s anxious and he has a ton of energy, but I think he gets it. We don’t have bodyguards on him to keep him from working too hard. He’s on the program with the staff."

The Celtics were a favorite to win last year's title when Garnett was healthy, but when he went down with a knee injury, the title aspirations became a pipe dream for Celtics fans. Still, in Garnett's absence, players like Glen Davis, Kendrick Perkins, and Rajon Rondo were able to blossom into servicable--in Rondo's case, occasionally outstanding--NBA starters. With Garnett seemingly on the road to recovery, having a future hall-of-famer there to anchor things--and augment the burgeoning Celtics talent--makes the Celtics one of only a handful of teams in the league that can talk seriously about winning a championship next June.

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