The 2009-2010 NBA season is still months away, but I’m already looking forward to what should be another great NBA season. The Lakers, Cavs, Magic, Spurs, and Celtics have all been loading up and retooling their rosters to get themselves in position to claim the gold ball next June. Today I will take a quick look at what the Boston Celtics have been doing this offseason.
The Celtics finished 62-20 last season, but we’re ousted in the 2nd rd by the Magic in 7 games primarily due to injuries to KG and Leon Powe. The C’s apparently are putting nothing to chance this offseason. They’ve restocked the cupboard by adding quality vets like Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels, while waiting for the market to run dry for Glen “Big Baby” Davis so that they could resign him to a reasonable contract(2 yrs/6.3 million).
The Celtics, in my opinion, have hands down the best 6 man rotation in the league. What other team’s starting 5 and 6th man would you trade the likes of PG Rajon Rondo, SG Ray Allen, SF Paul Pierce, PF Kevin Garnett, C Kendrick Perkins, and 6th man PF/C Rasheed Wallace for? Maybe the Lakers due to Kobe’s greatness alone, but that’s it. Taking it one step further, the C’s might not only have the league’s best starting 5, but also the NBA’s best bench. How many teams would keep their bench instead of having Wallace, Eddie House, Marquis Daniels, and Big Baby Davis to trot out every night? No many, if any.
Having said all that, Celtics fans still had best not get too cocky. Like they learned the hard way last season, injuries can change the outlook of any team quick. The Lakers fell victim to that in 2007-08 when Andrew Bynum was lost for the playoffs and they were abused inside against the rugged Celtics in the Finals. Outside of injuries derailing the C’s ride to another NBA Championship in 2010, do not count out Doc Rivers and his ability to screw things up with his absurd coaching. I know, I know, Doc led them to the title in 2008 and held his own against Phil Jackson in the Finals that year. That’s true, but did anyone else notice his awful coaching in the 1st 2 rounds that playoff season(taken 7 games deep by the Hawks and Cavs) and his mediocre(at best!) coaching in the playoffs this past season? His inability to put the right players on the court at crucial moments of the game is his calling card, folks.
Well, it’s only August so I won’t get too carried away with breaking down the Celtics chances against the other contenders just yet. I just have really liked what I’ve seen thus far in the offseason by the Celtics and felt I would give them some props. The NBA cannot get here soon enough for fans like me!