Season Preview: Boston Celtics

So to show you how bored I'm getting, and perhaps how excited about the NBA season I am, I'm going to try to go into each team and pretend I kind of know what I'm talking about. Here's what I see in each team, both good and bad.

Boston Celtics

Starting 5:
PG- Rajon Rondo
SG- Ray Allen
SF- Paul Pierce
PF- Kevin Garnett
C- Kendrick Perkins

Off the Bench
Guards: Tony Allen, Sam Cassell, Eddie House
Forwards: Glen Davis, Leon Powe, Bill Walker
Centers: Patrick O'Bryant, Scott Pollard, Brian Scalabrine

The starting five remain the same, with everyone simply a year older. The Big 3 still have some game left in them as Ray Allen turns 33, Paul Pierce, 31, and Kevin Garnett, 30. They're no longer at their prime, but they're not far enough removed to warrant seeing their production to decrease significantly (like Sam Cassell). All in all the roster remains generally the same, sans James Posey and a potentially retired PJ Brown. It'll be interesting to see if Doc Rivers decides to try to move in some of the rookies but the only one I see really ultimately cracking the rotation would be Bill Walker, assuming that hsi injury situation clears up. The biggest detriment will be the loss of James Posey, a tenacious defender who, like Robert Horry in his heyday, has a penchant of making big shots. I believe that the Celtics solution would be to hope that Tony Allen is fully recovered from injuries and will be able to step up on perimeter defense, he's a guy who can defend and get his fair share of buckets, and now currently handles the role of the best perimeter defender on the team. I think most people were pretty happy with how Glen Davis and Leon Powe ended up panning out in the Playoffs and Finals last season and we can only hope that they just improve their conditioning and game. Rajon Rondo looks to be one of the better defensive points out there, and if like Tony Parker, he can eventually develop a jumper he can become very, very dangerous.

All in all, I think this team is pretty much the same as the championship team, sure there are a couple of different faces but I believe that the loss of James Posey and PJ Brown are mitigated by a healthy Tony Allen, and the continued improvement of Rajon Rondo, Glen Davis, and Leon Powe. The major concerns will be first, whether Patrick O'Bryant gets minutes, and if he does, whether or not he's in good enough shape to use them. We haven't seen too much of O'Bryant as he's one of those players that's the worst possible fit for his previous team; Golden State, which meant that he was relegated to the end of the bench behind the rookies (Brandon Wright and Marco Bellinelli), the D-Leaguers (Kelenna Azubuike and CJ Watson), and Austin Croshere. I think conditioning has always been something of an issue for him, but we'll see if even after winning a ring Kevin Garnett still has that fire and passion to energize his team. I don't know that their record will be as stellar as perhaps the previous year, but I still expect them to be at the top. For starters, there is one thing that people can't say is an issue now: chemistry.

I say a respectable 60 win season clinching first in the Eastern Conference.