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Time is now for Celtics
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The Boston Celtics can and should win the NBA championship this year. After failing to repeat their title season of 2008, Boston has re-loaded with a ring-wearing veteran, two young starters with another year of experience and most importantly, a healthy Kevin Garnett.
The Celtics return their entire starting five from a year ago and heading into the season at least, those players are healthy. You already know about the soon-to-be Hall of Fame trio of Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Those three alone would keep the Celtics in just about any postseason series they play in. Yet this season there's more -- a whole lot more -- to this team.
At the very top and the very bottom of the starting five, 23-year-old point guard Rajon Rondo and 25-year-old center Kendrick Perkins should be entering the prime of their careers. Add the mercurial yet dependable Rasheed Wallace to that returning group and really, there are only a few scenarios that could screw this up:
• Injuries - Last season Garnett missed significant chunks of time down the stretch and never really played in the post-season. Already, key reserve Glen Davis has injured a hand under murky and dubious circumstances.
Garnett swears he is as healthy as ever and ready to go. When he is both healthy and hungry, his defensive intensity and will to win is matched by only a few elite players in the league.
As far as Davis is concerned, Celtics’ General Manager Danny Ainge won’t comment on how a slimmer, fitter Davis actually injured his hand. But several published reports say he got into a fight with a friend who was visiting from Louisiana. Even if the injury costs Davis the first two months of the season, the Celtics can easily withstand that to make the playoffs.
• Point guard Rajon Rondo - After getting sideways with his coach and general manager last year, the rising star must continue to support the Big Three and then learn to attack more intelligently when he does take his shots.
This is a problem that may have ultimately derailed the Celtics in the playoffs last season when, despite his effort, many feel Rondo's poor shot selection helped undo Boston against Orlando. Fortunately for him, Boston survived in the first round against Chicago because of his inspired play.
• Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James - The Celtics must hope these two do not develop an immediate chemistry as Shaq plays turn back the clock on his 37-year-old body.
You wouldn’t expect this, but Perkins has actually outplayed O’Neal in the past two seasons and his numbers have improved each and every season so far. The Celtics need him to be a defensive presence who simply holds his own when playing against dominant centers such as Shaq and Dwight Howard of the Magic.
Along with having James and O'Neal, Cleveland also comes with a ton of questions. Is this the year Shaq shows his age? Is Mo Williams ready to be an elite point guard? Will their numerous off-season moves eventually pay off with a similar chemistry to the vibe enjoyed by Cleveland over the past two years?
• The Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant is still the best all-around player in the NBA and Pau Gasol has become a model of consistency. Oh, and Phil Jackson is now working on Title number eleven. Hard to bet against this team.
As for the defending Eastern Conference champions, Orlando can only be viewed as a team who on paper at least, got worse instead of better during the off-season. Sure, they still have the game’s premier center in Dwight Howard. However, losing one of the NBA’s best shooters in Hedo Turkoglu and letting go of guard Courtney Lee deprives the Magic of 2 of the 3 main reasons they made it to the finals a year ago.
In the end, if Boston stays healthy, Rondo continues to mature and Perkins just holds his own with some help against Shaq and Howard – there isn’t another team in the NBA with the combination of talent, experience and depth who can beat this team in a seven game series.
If the Celtics can just get Rondo to the arena on time, Davis away from his visiting friends and KG on the floor, then 2010 should bring banner number 18 to the North Station.
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