Boston Celtics:
Can the glove help the Celtics grab a championship?

The Boston Celtics are the most storied franchise in the NBA. They were what a dynasty is supposed to be. From 1957-1969 the team won 11 of 13 NBA championships. The teams were just ridiculously good and were led by the amazing coach Red Auerbach. Auerbach is one of two coaches to have a championship ring on every finger except one because he won nine NBA championships in his twenty seasons. One of the constants on those teams was, arguably the best player to ever touch a basketball, Bill Russell. Russell was a dominating force in the league for his entire 13 season career. He was the only player that could ever hang with the great Wilt Chamberlain. Russell was not only a good player physically he was a good player mentally and it showed when Russell won two championships as the player/coach. In the ‘80s the Celtics struck gold a second time when they picked up the “Hick from French Lick” Larry Bird. Bird was half of the reason that the NBA became popular around the country. His duels with the Lakers Magic Johnson are things that legends are made of. Before Larry and Magic came along some of the NBA Finals games would be tape delayed or they would have to be finished at a certain time so the next television show could start. Larry and Magic brought the type of games that people wanted to see. Larry was the type of player that didn’t talk too much but he would do everything he had to on the court. Magic was the guy who was out there and smiling all the time and brought a kind of light-heatedness to the game. The teams met in two straight NBA Finals with the Celtics taking the first series 4-3 and the Lakers taking the second series 4-2. In all of the 13 NBA Finals contests the two teams played, neither one ever had less than 100 points with a team putting up over 120 points in seven of them. Without Bird and Magic the league wouldn’t be where it is today and without Bill Russell guys like Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan wouldn’t have anyone to emulate.

In more recent memory the Celtics haven’t had the same aura that they did when Bird and Russell were playing. The name “Celtics” doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of opponents like it once did. In the past eight seasons the team hasn’t been quite up to the standards set by the Celtics of yesteryear. During that span the team has accumulated a record of 270-354 which is a .412 winning percentage. Despite that the team has made the playoffs for the past three years in a very weak Eastern Conference. Last season the team finished 36-46 and just slipped into the playoffs and eventually went on to lose to the number one seeded Indiana Pacers.

In the off-season, the Celtics made a number of moves that should help out their franchise. In a blockbuster trade the Celtics sent Marcus Banks, Chucky Atkins, and Chris Mihm to the Lakers for Gary Payton, Rick Fox and a conditional first round pick. With these two players in place the team all of a sudden has a cagey veteran presence and they will also get a bitter Gary Payton who is very upset that he was let go like this.

In the draft the Celtics made out like a bunch of bandits. With the number 15 pick the Celtics got prep star forward Al Jefferson. Jefferson has been favorably compared to Elton Brand with his 6’10” frame, long arms, and athletic ability. With the number 24 pick the Celtics grabbed St. Joe’s guard Delonte West. West is a versitle guard who can play point guard or shooting guard and has a nice south paw jump shot.

The Celtics projected staring five looks much improved thanks to the Payton deal. Starting at point guard would be Gary Payton, at the shooting guard would be Ricky Davis, at small forward would be their resident superstar Paul Pierce, at power forward the Celtics hope that Jefferson can play some big minutes but the starting job is Walter McCartney’s for now and at center will probably be Raef LaFrentz if he is healthy.

Coming off of the bench the Celtics have a number of players that can play all kinds of different positions. Al Jefferson will be the first big man coming off the bench until he wrestles his way into a starting position. Rick Fox will give the Celtics a veteran toughness that had been missing in years past and will be a good defensive substitution whenever Davis or Pierce needs a breather.

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