It's currently a great time to be a Boston sports fan. The Red Sox are in the World Series, the Patriots are dominating like no team in recent NFL history, and it's about to be NBA season.
Now, the tip-off of the new NBA year hadn't been something most Beantown fans would be looking forward to, but now the Celtics faithful are having title dreams again.
No team in the league has had a greater makeover during the offseason than Boston, and no team probably needed it more. The Celtics finished an Eastern Conference-worst 24-58 during the 2006-07 campaign (including an 18-game losing streak) and did not make the playoffs for a second straight year.
And, despite having a great shot at the No. 1 overall pick, the lottery balls did not fall Boston's way, as it fell to No. 5 in the draft.
Which started Danny Ainge on his trading binge.
In separate moves, Ainge acquired two players who have combined for 17 All-Star appearances in Ray Allen (from Seattle) and Kevin Garnett (from Minnesota). Pairing those two with perennial All-Star Paul Pierce has made Boston one of the perceived powerhouses in the NBA. WagerWeb.com lists Boston as the Eastern Conference favorite at +275 and one of the second-favorites to win the NBA title at +400.
"It is going to be a lot of fun this year," Ainge said.
A seven-time All-Star, Allen, who averaged a team-best 26.4 points in 55 games for Seattle this past season, is still one of the best outside shooters in the NBA and has a few good years left in him.
Garnett played in 76 games in 2006-07 and led Minnesota in scoring (22.4 ppg) and rebounding (12.8 rpg), and the 10-time All-Star has averaged over 20 points and more than 10 boards per game in nine straight seasons.
"It's wonderful to have the opportunity to play with players the quality of Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen). The Celtics have had a proud tradition and now I hope that we can add to the legacy," Garnett said.Let's not forget Pierce, a five-time All-Star who averaged 25.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 47 games for Boston last season but had grown tired of carrying the burden alone.
"We were all on teams last year that didn't make the playoffs, and we all had players we had to nurture and [help] mature," Allen said. "It's such a great pleasure and honor to step on the floor with these two guys night-in and night-out, knowing what I get out of them."
So the Celtics clearly have a Big 3 probably unmatched in the NBA, but they are all at least 30 years old, and Boston traded away any depth it had in getting Allen and Garnett.
"It's not just the three of us that are going to make this thing work," Allen said. "There's more to the team than the three of us sitting here."
A key will be who will distribute the ball to these stars? The immediate answer is point guard Rajon Rondo, who appeared in 78 games last year, starting 25. With Delonte West being sent to Seattle in the Allen trade, Rondo inherits a starting role. Many teams will force Rondo to shoot the ball to beat them. The Kentucky product registered 6.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game during his rookie campaign.
"He is a key for us," Celtics coach Doc Rivers says. "We need him to be solid on defense, run the ballclub, be more vocal with veterans and take charge."
In addition, Boston has little threat in the post, with Kendrick Perkins likely getting the starting call at center. He averaged 4.5 points and 5.2 boards in 72 contests in 2006-07.
Boston's bench is incredibly thin, with no real backup for Rondo or Perkins.
James Posey, signed from Miami, will be relied on for defense at the small forward/big guard spot. Tony Allen, who will likely get the bulk of the playing time as the third guard, is coming off a major knee injury. Eddie House will provide some offensive punch off the bench.
The lowdown: The Celtics haven't reached the NBA finals in 20 years and haven't reached the East finals since 2002. To reach either of those marks, the Big 3 must all stay healthy, something Allen and Pierce didn't do last year. In addition, Rondo and Perkins must play above their ages. Boston should easily with the Atlantic Division (-115 at WagerWeb.com), but playing mostly 3-on-5 all season could catch up to the Celtics in the playoffs. If one-man team LeBron James can lead Cleveland to the East title, Allen, Garnett and Pierce should get Boston to the East finals, but expect a Chicago or Detroit to end the Celtics' season there.
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