Kevin Garnett

The Boston Celtics' defense of their 2008 championship got considerably more difficult with the announcement that star forward and team leader Kevin Garnett will likely miss the 2009 playoffs.

The absence of Garnett, who was sidelined with a knee injury in March, will leave a gaping hole in the Celtics' frontcourt, especially on the defensive end -- Garnett won the 2008 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.