The New Look Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have never looked this different in a long time. Now that the triumvirate of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have entirely gone their own separate ways with the franchise, it’s time for an extreme makeover. Since bringing Garnett and Allen, there has been a renewed energy for the city of Boston after having to suffer during the post-Larry Bird era. The 90s was never good to the Celtics and not only since the “new big three” in 2008, have they regained their winning ways and basketball tradition. It was one hell of a run for Boston during the last 5 years, winning a ring on the first year and being strong contenders on the succeeding ones. Thankfully, a new star was born, a younger guy that have been a key piece of the puzzle aside from Garnett, Allen and Pierce...

and that guy is no other than Rajon Rondo..

The only remaining player from the 2008 championship team is without a doubt the leader for this new resurgence. That leader is arguably the best point guard in the league and last season’s stat leader in assists and the cornerstone of this franchise, Rajon Rondo. He will need to carry Boston and hope for a spot come playoff time. The sad part is that he’s recovering from an ACL injury and might return to the lineup by December (still very arguable).  Rondo needs to lead the way for this new look Celtics.  The next most important guy that needs to step up for the loss of Garnett and Pierce is…

Ironman…

Jeff Green needs one word, consistency. If he can play the way he played the 2^nd half of last season then Boston would have high hopes for landing a consistent win-loss record. Green’s explosiveness, size and speed advantage over his same-position defenders gives him a lot of potential to be the go-to-guy for the Boston Celtics. His quick first step and athleticism can work as huge factors for the offensive efficieny of Boston.  Now off to the role players…

Boston Mainstays…

Other than Rondo and Green, the Celtics have effective role players that can help the team battle for 48 minutes. Let’s start off with the Boston mainstays; Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass and Jared Sullinger. Bradley is probably the toughest on-ball defender in the NBA. If only he could equal his offensive prowess with his defensive efficiency, he could be unstoppable. But that is yet to be seen from him. With Rondo being out early in the season, Bradley will be forced to play the point and move out of his regular two-guard position. If Avery could adjust well then Boston can get some early wins as they await the return of Rajon Rondo. Brandon Bass on the other hand has a consistent perimeter jump shot and he will need that to get his stats up and help the team win. Even though he plays the power forward position, his size is quite small compared to other players playing the same four spot. The other big man that can be a huge help is Jared Sullinger. If healthy, Sullinger is a rebounding machine. With a wide body ready for banging, expect Sullinger to bring those rebounds down for this long season.

 Ex-Nets…

After the Boston-Brooklyn trade, the Celtics acquired Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks and Keith Bogans. These 4 guys are not in the same level as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce but they can sure do contribute to a team. Wallace, “Crash” as called by many, is a veteran with a slasher mentality and a good open court player. Even though he’s not as athletic as a few years back, he can still finish strong at the rim. He has mediocre shooting but can hit threes at times and that’s already a big plus because the Boston Celtics only have a few good shooters.  Kris Humphries on the other hand is an effective rebounding player. Ex-Mr. Kim Kardashian himself can contribute on the inside for the Celtics. He’s a big guy with hops. Expect alley-oops or drop passes to him here and there. Brooks and Bogans are good two-guards but expect more defensive efficiency from the latter.

Rookies…

Boston have acquired two big guys and one point guard. Kelly Olynyk and Vitor Faverani are both big men that contribute instantly. Olynyk has a decent shooting range whil Faverani is a work horse inside. Kelly wears the number 41 and the long chops ala-Dirk Nowitzki. Well, Boston hopes that this first round draft pick does play like Dirk and become a star. Faverani on the other hand has been playing professional basketball for 11 years now but he’s not old! You got that right, Vitor Faverani started playing pro-ball since he was 14 years old. He’s a great inside presence. Never sleep on this guy because he is very active both offensively and defensively. You will have to wonder, if only he had been in the line-up last year, Boston may have had a different outcome.

and now to the new “brains” of the team…

Now that the Celtics have really turned  a 360-degree, Doc Rivers has left and a new coach is up to the task to lead Boston as they rebuild. That guy tasked to handle the team with the most storied basketball history is none other than former Butler coach, Brad Stevens. This guy is phenomenal as a college coach but will it translate into the NBA? It’s up to the Celtics to prove the doubters though. 

The Boston Celtics definitely looks new but they want to emulate their old winning ways. Will this new look team be another exciting team to look forward to or will it be the 90s all over again? We’ll find out sooner or later.

My Take on Last Year's Run of Boston: Celtic Love

Series Not Yet Over for Gritty Celtics, Wins Game 5 in NY

The Boston Celtics survive for another game with a 92-86 Game 5 win over the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden. The series ain’t over yet as the Celtics return to TD Garden for Game 6. Driven by passion and determination, the Cs held on for the win with help from Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass and Jason Terry. They almost equally contributed for the huge win. Brandon Bass has come out of his shell and has proven that he can be the x-factor for Boston. Jason Terry on the other hand, after being criticized for not performing well throughout the whole season has shown better basketball during this series. Kevin Garnett has been playing inspired basketball which some say may be due to his possible retirement at the end of the season. KG corralled 18 rebounds for the game along with his 16 points. Paul Pierce has been doing his thing, being the captain and scoring when needed. Bass and Terry each had 17 points to contribute for the Cs.

The dismal shooting of the New York Knicks gave the win away to the Celtics with Carmelo Anthony shooting 8 out of 24 while J.R Smith only made 3 out of 14 FGs. This is an interesting series to follow, with the “Honey Nut Cheerios” incident earlier in the season and the deep rivalry between the two teams; Boston fans definitely have no love for New York fans and vice-versa. Adding fuel to the fire, the New York Knicks players came to MSG wearing black suits, wherein they labeled the game as a funeral (for the Celtics). What they expected did not happen though and the Celtics live to see another day.

No team in the NBA has won a series while being down 0-3. Nothing is impossible though. Next game will be at Boston’s TD Garden. Will it be the end of the line for the Celtics? Will this be the last game for KG and The Truth in Boston? The Garden will definitely be jam-packed with a raucous crowd.  Win or go home, whether you are a Knicks fan, a Celtics fan or just a basketball fan, Game 6 is a must-see!