NBA Countdown: No. 3 Boston Celtics

[duncan228]

NBA Countdown: No. 3 Boston Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-nbacountdownnoboston&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews

Leading into the Oct. 27 season openers, Sporting News will preview each of the NBA teams, counting backward from its Sept. 25 Power Poll. For more great NBA content, order your copy of our Pro Basketball yearbook, or pick one up at a newsstand today.

By Marc Narducci
Sporting News Yearbooks

During the offseason, the Boston Celtics had a simple strategy to remain among the elite in the Eastern Conference. In a frenetic summer in which one contender after another made moves to upgrade talent, the Celtics decided to employ the fullcourt press.

There is no other way to describe sending coach Doc Rivers, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, managing partner and governor Wyc Grousbeck and perennial All-Stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to Rasheed Wallace’s home in Michigan to make an impressive recruiting pitch.

Wallace signed, and the Celtics are now able to stay in the high-rent district occupied by only the most serious of Eastern Conference contenders.

And while trades by fellow East titans Cleveland and Orlando that brought Shaquille O’Neal and Vince Carter to those respective teams might have had more sizzle, the signing of Wallace, a player as celebrated for his defense as his offense, filled a major gap for the Celtics.

“The sexy names out there were great and those guys earned those names for the talent they have,” Rivers said. “If we learned anything from winning a title, it’s more important to have the right fit than a guy with even more talent.”

It’s not like Wallace is a slouch. A four-time All-Star, he was the final piece of the 2004 Pistons championship team. At 6-11, he has the ability to post up, but also hit the 3-pointer. He can guard bruising or quick power forwards and centers alike.

But Wallace wasn’t the Celtics’ only acquisition. Flying under the radar was the addition of swingman Marquis Daniels, who averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds last season for the Pacers.

Of course, the new arrivals won’t have any impact if Garnett doesn’t rebound from a knee injury that caused him to miss the end of the regular season and the entire postseason. He's still a difference-maker, and the team needs him to stay healthy.

Pierce, the MVP of the 2008 Finals, averaged 37.5 minutes in the regular season and 39.7 in the two seven-game playoff series against Chicago and Orlando. Rivers says he’d like to cut those minutes so Pierce will be fresh in the postseason, and that is where Daniels could be a major asset.

Allen remains one of the more accomplished snipers in the NBA, a one-man defense spreader. Plus, he was second in the league last season in free throw percentage (.952). Still, at 34, there is concern about Allen wearing down.

One area where age isn’t a concern is with fourth-year point guard Rajon Rondo, who turns 24 in February.

Rondo has continued to elevate his game, but still struggles with his shooting (2-for-15 on 3-pointers in the playoff series against Orlando) and maturity.

Underrated center Kendrick Perkins gives the Celtics another key defensive presence, as he was sixth in the NBA in blocked shots (1.97 per game).

On the bench, guard Eddie House can supply instant offense. He was seventh in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.444). And Boston fortified its frontcourt depth by re-signing Glen Davis, who averaged 15.8 points in the playoffs.

This is a deeper, albeit older, Celtics team. Yet, if healthy, they should maintain their dominance in the Atlantic Division, with their eyes on a much bigger postseason prize.

Fast facts
2008-09 record: 62-20
Last playoff: 2009 (lost in conference semifinal)
Coach: Doc Rivers

Burning question
Is Rajon Rondo willing to be a role player?

Rondo had a breakout postseason last spring, putting up very impressive numbers—16.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.8 assists—in the absence of Kevin Garnett. The Celtics have Garnett back and added Rasheed Wallace, and they will surely be better off with even scoring numbers among Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Garnett and Wallace. Rondo has been saying the right things about simply being a cog in the Celtics' wheel, but he has had a taste of what it's like to dominate. It will be tough for him to set that aside.
— Sean Deveney

View from the other bench
(an opponent breaks down the Celtics)

"What is there not to like about Boston? Health is the only issue, and whether they can sustain that health with older guys, I don't know. I'm told (Kevin) Garnett should be OK, and Rasheed (Wallace) was a great sign. He's a guy willing to come off the bench and can play with Garnett or (Kendrick) Perkins. Marquis Daniels was a great sign who offers them great versatility. Daniels isn't a great jump shooter, but in Indiana when he would probe and slash and run into the post once in a while, he was really good.

"(Rajon) Rondo will continue to get better, and retaining Eddie House was a good move. (Paul) Pierce remains at a high level, and Ray (Allen) is older, but he takes care of himself and I look for a big season from him."

Rookie to watch: G Lester Hudson

Hudson was the only player Boston drafted, selected 58th overall from Tennessee-Martin. Hudson, who averaged 27.5 points as a senior, doesn't fit into Boston's immediate plans, but he did earn a roster spot.

Inside the numbers

57: Games played by Kevin Garnett in 2008-09, the second fewest of his career. He appeared in 47 games with Minnesota in 1998-99.
61: Games in which Boston posted a higher field goal percentage than its opponent in 2008-09, most in the league.
92.5: Points per game allowed by the Celtics over the last two seasons, the best scoring defense in the NBA.

Additions: Shelden Williams, C/F (Minnesota), Rasheed Wallace, F/C (Detroit), Marquis Daniels, G (Indiana)
Subtractions: Gabe Pruitt, G (free agent), Leon Powe, F/C (Cleveland)

[duncan228]

The Baseline Sees All: Boston Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-thebaselineseesallbo&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews

Elsewhere in our web of basketball knowledge, you'll find comprehensive team previews by experts intimately acquainted with what makes these NBA teams tick, where they've been, and what might be next for them. So why another set of previews? Because sometimes, it's worth listening to your crazy uncle about that broken leg before you take a second trip to the doctor's office.

I don't see banners unfurling on this Celtics team. I see lots of uncertainty, possible decay, and maybe even conflict. But that doesn't mean they don't rank high.

You'd prefer a tidier explanation, I know. But look, the common illusion being spread around is the Celtics can pick up where they left off last spring, but with Kevin Garnett fully recovered, and important new additions Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels. There's a lot to sort out there; it's not a recipe for reaching higher ground, it's a blue collar soap opera where everyone glares, yells, and flexes a lot.

Fact One: The Big Three are aging. No, Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen haven't crapped out yet by any stretch of the imagination. Allen, in particular, had his best season in a while in 2008-09. But Garnett, as much as he smashes up a game these days, isn't the KG of old, and this surgery could be a sign of impending decline — not a distraction that his will alone can overcome. Garnett isn't the athlete, or all-around presence, he once was. The energy and attitude is still there, but this team has to deal with the possibility that their spiritual center might not always be the cure-all he's been for years in the league.

Same goes for Pierce, who didn't exactly step up and dominate in KG's absence. Pierce still creates his shot, and has gotten smarter than ever about both offense and defense. Again, though, who are we to say when the downward slide begins, or how precipitous it might be? Might not the most subtle slide make an enormous difference? Look, The Big Three are still a force to be reckoned with. But do they have that extra spark, or can they can get that extra space (or call) night-in, night-out? This team is based around three aging superstars. That could be a problem.

Fact Two: Last spring was kind of a blur. Rajon Rondo had been an All-Star candidate this past season, and won a ring the year previous as a game-manager. In the playoffs, though, he took over, registering triple-doubles and leading the team, while at the same time displaying a predilection for rough play and disappearing for long stretches. Rondo is still clearly a work in progress, but he's about to hit the free-agent market, albeit as a restricted. Don't think about that too much. But do think about this: Rondo has gone from pleasant surprise to immense young talent on the rise. Boston needs to give him that due.

The question is, how to make sure he get his touches, respect, and just plain room to move within the current Celtics system with these old guys back for blood? If anyone had any sense, things would never be the same after that series with the Bulls. It would be time to re-examine the way Boston did business, and make sure Rondo now was on equal footing with the old dudes. Otherwise, it's a waste, a step backward, and bad news come free agency. I know there's been lip service, but these things are easier alluded to than done.

To a lesser degree, the same goes for Kendrick Perkins. Perkins is an absolute beast of a rebounder and shot-blocker, exactly the kind of no-frills, but undoubtedly present, center that a team needs in the middle these days. With other teams going small or athletic at the position, Perkins is an ass-kicker who understands the game. He doesn't command (or demand) nearly the attention Rondo does, but still, how do you integrate an increasingly vital youngster into a team dominated by three big-name vets.

Fact Three: I don't see how Rasheed Wallace suddenly bolsters this team up beyond belief. Seems to me that, if the Celts could effectively merge the rising youth force with a realistic assessment of where the vets are at, they'd have a contender on their hands right there. And I get that Wallace provides much-needed three-point shooting, length, and size, and savvy off the bench. Still, he can't be that big a priority, nor should this acquisition be seen as anywhere up there with the other big moves around the league. Tied with Shaq getting Cleveland for most over-hyped offseason move.

Most Likely Breakout: The last thing this team needs is another breakout player. So for their sake, let's say none.

Most Likely Letdown: It all depends on what you're expecting from Sheed. And to some degree, this applies to the entire team. Yes, on paper, or in a vacuum, this team looks incredible. Hence, perhaps, the rationale behind Wallace's proclamation about besting the Bulls single-season win record. But someone's going to have to take a backseat (even if that role rotates), play the wall, or whatever phraseology you want to use for a player reduced to a supporting role. Juggling that will be hard, and just because they managed it with three guys in 2008-09 (along with a all-for-one philosophy to back it up), doesn't mean it's so easy with even more cooks over the cauldron.

Anyway, between Sheed's "last to the party" status, the bru-ha-ha surrounding his signing, and his diminishing powers, he seems like the most likely candidate to be seen as either underperforming, when in fact he's trying to fit in, or failing to fit in, when in fact he's underperforming.

Blog superstar: I would like to see Garnett interview random strangers off the street the way he's been so wrenchingly interviewed over the years, usually by John Thompson. Or maybe he could just turn the tables and get back at Thompson.

Signature game: We're talking game-within-a-game here, since the Celtics will be as much trying to get themselves figured out as they will trying to break down opponents. That puts them up alongside the Lakers, and to a lesser degree, the Magic and Cavs. That's what happens when every good team in the league decides to make major changes to their rosters. Let that be a viewing guide for all these squads: How solidly managed they look from game to game is always as important as if they win or not.

Why else you should care: Because by now, everyone is sick of hating Boston, and either wants reason to change that tune, or new ammunition for a tired cause.

[Culburn369]

They're tough.

Rondo is key. If he continues to severely impact as he has, they'll be incredibly lethal.

The best team in the NBA.

[duncan228]

Wallace: Celtics Can Be 'Kings of the Mountain' (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=tsn-wallacecelticscanbek&prov=tsn&type=lgns)
SportingNews

Signed as a free agent in the offseason, Rasheed Wallace brings his outsized personality and considerable game to a Celtics team that is one year removed from winning an NBA championship.

After a preseason game against the Knicks last week, Wallace told reporters, including Sporting News' Bill Eichenberger, that he has similar expectations for this team and is comfortable in his role as an added weapon off a deep Celtics' bench.

Q: Have you and other guys on the second unit been able to develop some chemistry during the preseason?

A: We are getting a lot out of it. We’re still working on executing, getting our plays down. It’s not going to happen overnight. But we are cool. It’s not anything to wave a red flag about.

Q: What have you seen so far from the second unit? It seems you have lot of good matchups, good options.

A: Yeah, definitely. Everyone can score. Myself, Eddie (House), Marquis (Daniels). We have guys who can score that rock.

Q: In your mind, is this team poised to win another championship?

A: There is definitely an aura in the air that we can definitely go ahead and be the kings of the mountain. It’s just a matter of us going out there and doing it now. We all believe that we can.

Q: Adding you, a proven shot-blocker and defender, should make an already good defensive team even better. How good a defensive team do you think this Celtics team can be?

A: There’s a real depth of experience on defense, with myself, Kevin (Garnett), Perk (Kendrick Perkins). All our bigs and all our guards, we like to defend. There are not a lot of blow-bys against this team. We don’t give easy baskets even if we do get beat to the basket. So our defense is there. We will be one of the top defenses in the league.

Q: How has Kevin Garnett looked to you physically this preseason?

A: Cool. Personally, I think that knee is getting stronger. From the time when we were running up and down before training camp to now, he’s definitely looking stronger. He got a nice little dunk tonight, actually a couple of them. And I think he had a nice one in that Toronto game. A couple of weeks ago he wouldn’t have been able to do that. And he’s starting to hit his stride a little more, running without that limp.

Q: How much is the depth on this team going to help you and the other veterans to get to the playoffs with a lot left in the tank?

A: It helps a lot. (Coach) Doc (Rivers) doesn’t have to wear that first five out with minutes during the regular season. He has the confidence in us, our bench, to be able to go out there and take some of the pressure off of them.