ESPN Insider has a weekly column where they identify and analyze tendencies or trends exhibited by five players. This week, they have chosen KG and say that his shooting from the outside has cooled off.

Once regarded as a terror on the glass and a dunk waiting to happen, Garnett has evolved into a veteran better known for his tenacity, boundless passion and effective perimeter game.

The perimeter component is an important part of who KG is as a player. Garnett attempted 6.0 shots a game from the 16-to-23 foot range last season, according to HoopData.com, and has averaged at least 4.8 shots a game from that distance in every season since joining Boston. During that time, he's never shot worse than 44 percent from that range in any one season, and the mid-to-long range 2 has become his bread and butter.

That's why it's a little alarming that Garnett's shooting just 40 percent from that area of the court so far this season. That's not a massive discrepancy from previous years, but the sample size for KG's career is also big enough so that we have a pretty good idea of what he does, and at what rate. Is it simply a slow start for the 36-year-old future Hall of Famer? Or has the wear and tear from battling in the paint all those years started to tarnish one of the best parts of his game? At this point, it's still so early that it's probably worth giving KG the benefit of the doubt, but it's also something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

I'm not about to say KG is finished yet. If you recall, it wasn't until last season that KG really started to play inspired basketball. The entire Celtics team has been struggling for periods. I'd be willing to say that it's more a chemistry and learning issue than it is a "KG's old and worn out" issue.

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