Moderated by Dan

Another season is upon us, and the only thing we know about the 2006-07 Boston Celtics is that they are a very difficult team to assess because of their youth. We know they have a ton of athleticism and young talent on the roster, but the goal is more than collecting talent. The goal is to build a cohesive team (ok, the Patriots came up with that motto, not me). How will all of these ingredients mesh? Will they show the same shortcomings we saw last year; lack of discipline on defense, and a turnover approximately every thirty seconds? Or, will they become more consistent and be the team that for quarters here and there played the best basketball seen by Boston fans since the early 90s.

One thing is for sure, this is the year things need to start coming together for the Ainge/Rivers brigade. You can only hang your hat on good drafts and players with upside for so long before it needs to start translating on the floor…Anyway, on to the round table.

The Celtics announced their final two roster moves, opting to waive Luke Jackson and Brian Grant. What are your thoughts on the final 15, and specifically the decision to keep Allen Ray over Luke Jackson?

Mark: Count me as the treasurer of the “Why is Allen Ray Still On This Team??” Society. Luke Jackson is looking like a draft bust at this point, but at least he accomplished something for the Cs (11 points in 21 minutes in 4 games). Allen Ray has appeared in 8 games with 3.6 ppg in over 10 minutes on average. Granted, Allen Ray was a heck of a player in college, but the last thing this Celtics team needs is a guy at the end of the bench who is a long-range project, particularly in the SG spot. Luke Jackson is a flawed player, but you now essentially gave up Dwayne Jones, who did very nicely in meaningless ’06 and Summer League games, for nothing. I guess I don’t see Danny Ainge’s logic here.

Tom: Luke Jackson? I was disappointed that they did not keep Kevin Pittsnoggle. His interpretation of the NBA dress code would have would have guaranteed at least a half season full of laughs.

It really doesn’t matter who they should have kept. The fact is that the Celtics would be in big trouble if they had to rely on either one to make a key contribution this year. But since you are asking, I will say I agree with the decision to keep Ray. He can go to NBDL and work on his game. He could also provide some long term insurance come the trade deadline. More on that later…

Dan: First of all, I thought keeping Ray over Jackson a no-brainer. Although the team’s cup is overflowing with small guards, Ray is the perfect versatile player to step in to either guard spot and play should there be an injury or trade. Jackson can shoot, but it looked like he could do little else in the limited time I watched him play. Besides, the league is littered with players described as a poor man’s Fred Hoiberg.

Other than that in regard to the roster, I am glad Powe made the team, but I have no idea how he will get minutes without the words “Development League” being attached.

Is there a set 9 or 10 man rotation that will work for this team, if so, what should it be in your opinion?

Dan: In general, I am a big believer in a set rotation. But for a team this young, it’s tough to decide who is playing what kind of role when almost every player involved is incredibly inconsistent. I think a four man rotation of guards (Pierce, West, Rondo, Telfair) will work, with Pierce also getting some minutes in the 3 spot. Szczerbiak and Tony Allen will also see some minutes there, with Gomes, Jefferson, Perkins, and Ratliff splitting time at the 4 and 5. Ideally, it would be nice to see Jefferson get 25-30 minutes a night, but he needs to earn those minutes by playing with consistent intensity. If Ratliff can stay healthy, it is going to be at the expense of Kendrick Perkins getting minutes (and dumb fouls where he makes a face like someone mistakenly accused him of farting).

Mark:
Starters: Telfair, Pierce, Szczerbiak, Gomes, Perkins.
Bench: Rondo, West, Green, Jefferson, Ratliff

My logic is this: Other than PG, the 4 starters should be set in stone. There may be some nights you want to start Rondo because of his stellar defensive skills (i.e. any start against the Nets, Suns or Kings). But, regardless of who starts at PG, the minutes should roughly be 50/50 Telfair/Rondo with a fraction of minutes being given to Delonte or, God forbid, Tony Allen.

Pierce and {a seemingly healthy} Wally are “no-brainers”. I know that the Full Court Press faithful will consider it heresy to pencil in Gomes above Jefferson, but in my mind Gomes is a plow-horse while Jefferson is a thoroughbred. Yeah, you could get your plowing done faster with “a” Jefferson, but you might wind up with a lot less shotgun shells and more glue than you can use.

Perk is going to be seeing large minutes at Center until Ratliff can get himself back where he needs to be. Ratliff is an interesting “crunch time” guy defensively for the C’s, I could see him on the floor for a large percentage of those 2-8 point games with 2 minutes left.

From the Bench, I think Rondo is going to be a maniac, and he is going to give some PGs nightmares on the defensive end. If he can build on his nice offensive preseason, we the Green might be ruling this kid a draft-day steal at the end of the season.

I think Delonte West is going to be a monster coming of the bench, mostly as a SG but occasionally at PG (i.e. any time Jameer Nelson is in the game for Orlando). His energy has proven to be infectious, and I love him on the second team. I think he will play the Ricky Davis role of ’06-’07 bench. Know this (tm @1997 Peter Gammons), Delonte West will kill several teams with his outside shot during this season. Think Milt Palacio circa 2000-2001.

Tom: I don’t think there currently is a set 9 or 10 man rotation. I think a lot depends on the health of Theo Ratliff and what, if anything he can do for the front court. At this point, my 10 man rotation would work this way: Pierce 40-42 minutes, Wally 25-30 minutes, West 30 minutes, Gomes 30 minutes, Telfair 25 minutes , Rondo 15-20 minutes, Perkins 25-30 minutes, Jefferson 20-25 minutes, Allen 6-8 minutes, and Gerald Green 6-8 minutes. Allen and Green would ideally by used in offense/defense situations, depending on the score. Of course this rotation falls apart when Perkins and or Jefferson get into foul trouble. Which brings us back to Ratliff or Olowokandi…

The team announced it was picking up its option of the final year of Tony Allen’s Contract. What are your thoughts on this move, on Allen’s place and future with this team?

Tom: I think the jury is still out on Allen, in more ways in one. I’m trying to decide which FSNE guy would use this as their answer. I’ve narrowed it down between Allen Greenburg and Bill Burt. I would have thrown Tom Curran into the fray but the other night he managed to utilize the term “wet-nurse” while keeping a straight face. And yes, I’m still reeling from this.

I think it’s a low risk move to pick up his option and I honestly have no idea what his future is on this team. He is probably still their best one on one defender, at least until the refs stop giving Rondo the rookie treatment. However, I can’t see him with this team long term if Rondo is as advertised and Gerald Green learns that defense isn’t just a crowd chant.

Dan: Tony Allen has a hard time dribbling (unless you count the ball bouncing off his hip and advancing up the floor with him), can’t shoot jump shots, and sometimes commits silly fouls. I think all of these things about him almost every game I watch him play, but yet, he has these flashes where he somehow can get to the rim through big time traffic and either dunk or at least get to the line. He can play good, physical defense when he moves his feet (this was hindered by the knee last year), and is a solid defensive rebounder. You can see how he will be a valuable man off the bench when he gets more consistent. So, I am glad they extended him to see what they have. Please though, no more minutes at the point…

Mark: Smart move by the C’s. TA’s legal troubles may or may not be soon be behind him (depending on which rumors you believe), but the smart move was to pick up the option and postpone the actual decision a little longer.

Last year, this team struggled defensively for large stretches in games, particularly defending the pick and roll. Do you see them improving in that area this year?

Mark: I really hate to sound like an up-tempo suckup, but there are few things more overrated in the modern NBA game than defense. Defense counts for about the last 4-8 minutes of most games in the NBA. I would gladly trade this team for the old “Harter-ball” teams. That said, I think these guys will be better defensively in crunch time.

Dan: During this preseason, there still have been stretches where their defense has been downright nauseating. They commit stupid fouls, and the guards leave the big men exposed because they are so easy to beat off the dribble. This is where the oasis in the desert that is Rajon Rondo comes into play. Rondo defended the pick and roll as well as any point guard I have watched this preseason, and he is very difficult to beat off the dribble as well. As much as he should impact the Celtics up tempo offense, I think his defense will be the area he helps the most. Still to be seen of course is if the league officials decide he must be subjected to the automatic “two fouls just for stepping onto the floor” mandate they seem to exercise on most young guards to come into the league.

Tom: It would be really tough to play the pick and roll any worse than last year unless they put Denzel Washington’s character from “Carbon Copy” out there. I think they will struggle initially with this but will improve as the season goes along. Like the end around in football, the pick and roll feasts on inexperienced and undisciplined teams. Clearly, the Celtics fall into both categories at this point. I also believe that the Celtics can do a lot on the offensive end to help dictate tempo and decrease the amount of half court potential pick and roll situations.

Please name the five guys you would like on the court during crunch time, and elaborate on why.

Tom: The interesting thing about this team is that it will depend on the game situation. I know that there are 3 players that I would want at all times. Those three are: Sczerbiak, Pierce, and Gomes. I think these three give the team the best chance to win from an offensive, team defense and overall IQ perspective. The other 2 will really depend on the match up. I also think that Rajon Rondo free throw shooting will have a major impact on the coaching staff’s decision making down the stretch.

Mark: Pierce and Wally – You need guys who can score in a variety of ways.
Delonte West OR Rajon Rondo – Do you need an outside shot or a defender?
Theo Ratliff – Wily veteran who can block a short or pull a board
Ryan Gomes – Can do a little bit of everything.

Dan: I would like to see Ratliff, Jefferson, Pierce, West, and Rondo on the floor during crunch time. This is making the assumption that Ratliff is healthy. Jefferson gives them a low post option that they will need when the game slows down and Pierce is doubled consistently. West is in there to play decent defense, not make dumb mistakes, knock down open jumpers. Rondo is in there for his defense. One other option would be to have Gomes in the game for West (with Pierce playing the 2), depending on the match ups.

If the team decides it needs another veteran near the deadline, who is their most valuable yet expendable chip to deal?

Dan: The two most trade-able assets are Delonte and Wally. As much as I like Delonte’s game, the ideal role in this league for him is to be a combo guard off the bench. Wally ultimately could help a contender as instant offense off the bench as well. I think the C’s roster dictates that he will have to be dealt anyway to open up minutes for Gerald Green in the second half of the year.

Tom: This is a tough one but I would have to say Delonte West. Of course, this is assuming that Rondo is a Rookie of the Year candidate and Telfair continues on his strong preseason. I like watching Delonte play and it would be with mixed emotions to see him go. However, there is a certain Tim Naehring uneasiness that I get with him. West would be a valuable player to a number of Western Conference teams that need to score with Dallas and Phoenix. From the Celtics perspective, his value and short money contract would allow them to package certain other high priced red headed step-players.

Mark: Al Jefferson. I am on record; I don’t think Jefferson is much more than a role player at his best in the NBA. That said, Jefferson has the ability to be a chip in a trade this year. I, absolutely…in this town…right now…. would have thrown in Jefferson to get AI, but I think AI’s price may drop as the Sixers head to the basement this winter.

Thanks for the memories, Red. There will never be another one like you.

By Sean

For a brief period in his rookie campaign, Tony Allen had me convinced the Celtics found their shutdown defending, fast breaking, boom dunking, chaos inducing swingman of the future. Swingbot 3000. This, incidentally, was also about the time Jiri Welsch had both my wife and I convinced Boston had found its surly Slavic sharpshooter/bon vivant of the future. In the latter instance, Gavrilo Princip’s place in history – if not Celtics lore – is secure.

All by way of saying I may be historically, epically wrong about Tony Allen. Going into his third season with a club option pending, a criminal trial looming, and a reconstructed knee still anchoring his once explosive game, Allen has managed to wear the “chaotic” label comfortably, if not necessarily in the fashion the club anticipated. When he unexpectedly worked his way into the starting lineup during the second half of his rookie year, his future seemed secure. Frenetic defense and boundless athleticism were not especially that squad’s calling card, Mark Blount excepted (and he always should be, on several grounds). What Allen lacked in experience, understanding, and ballhandling, he made up for in indiscriminate fits of … leaping, by some appearances uncontrollably.

Nonetheless, the last of the 2004 first round picks went into the summer of 2005 with what seemed the most defined place in the rotation among the three. Delonte West was coming off a rookie season virtually uninterrupted by good health, and Al Jefferson – while flashing the potential that has made him a whipping boy ever since – was still too raw to be relied upon for other than five personal fouls per one-half Tommy Point. By contrast, Allen had assumed a (tentative) starting role, led the rookie team with 17 points in the All-Star weekend challenge (the Celtics’ lone representative), and later averaged nearly 17 points and 56% shooting in the 2005 Reebok Summer League. For all the misdirected hype and practice court potential, it gets lost that Tony Allen was, by some good measure, at the head of his rookie class.

And then, like a Brian Scalabrine dribble-drive, it all fell apart. In August, some two months before training camp, Allen was involved in what polite company terms an “altercation,” though an early-morning fistfight and shoot-up outside something called the “White Palace Grill” is more aptly termed “WTF?!?!”. In September, Allen had arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee, imperiling his availability for the early half of the season. And in October, just before the break of camp, Allen was arrested for aggravated battery in connection with the aforementioned altercation, thus imperiling his availability over the next 10-12 years.

While Allen rehabilitated his knee (if not his image) and the criminal charges shuffled along, the 2005-06 Celtics roared to a 13-18 start before his return on January 6th, thus imperiling nothing. Allen, however, returned as a shadow of his former self, no doubt assisted by the Celtics’ curious attempt to turn a 6’4” jackrabbit with a pugilist’s handle into a part-time point guard. To be fair, Allen is an able distributor, but Dan Dickau he is not (that, oddly, is not a compliment in this context). We can only guess at the cauldrons of cough syrup Doc and Danny must have slammed on the team charter before making the Dimetapp Roster Move of the season. They should probably start checking their luggage.
Allen not only struggled to reclaim his spot in the lineup (since lost when Pierce slid to the two-guard following Szczerbiak’s acquisition), he suffered to regain his game. Where he once exploded on the court without aim but with apparent purpose, his game now had all the flow of an enlarged prostate. Gone were the ball hawking put-backs, the fast breaks finished with determination, the badgering defense, all replaced by the backwash of apprehension. His indecision and self-doubt was the mirror image of Brian Scalabrine’s concentrated, laser-beaming incompetence, though both were a net loss.

Most attributed this tentativeness to a shaken faith in his reconstructed right knee, and that surely played a huge part. Where his athleticism could previously compensate for inexperience and a still-evolving game, the gimpy knee left him seemingly undressed, and his almost visible fear reflected this understanding. But his indeterminate role and place in the “future” also contributed. Gone was the Ricky Davis yang to his yin (traded shortly after Allen’s return in January), gone was the starting spot, emergent were other members of the Celtics’ young fraternity; Allen, whose role was previously so well-defined, was seemingly adrift.

Toward the end of the season glimpses of Allen 1.0 resurfaced. In a late season loss to the Lakers he appeared to rise to the challenge of Kobe Bryant, reembracing his stubborn, pestering defense. You’re going to have to trust me on this, as Kobe bore his way to 43 exceptionally annoying, over-inflated points that night, but when Allen was locked up man-to-man, he gave Bryant fits. He finished the game with 4 blocks and 2 steals, and it was perhaps no coincidence that he also turned in one of his most efficient offensive performances of the season with 18 points. Most revealingly, he got to the free throw line 9 times in 29 minutes, evidence that his assertiveness on defense carried over to the offensive end as well.

Still, it’s safe to say the Celtics have little or no idea what they have in Tony Allen, which is likely why he is the only remaining 2004 draftee not to have his option year picked up. A decision is due October 31st, and though the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett reported last week (in a futile attempt to beat me to the story) that the club had decided to exercise the option, no official announcement was forthcoming. More recent quotes indicate Ainge is still very much undecided. Still, chances are the option will be picked up, if only to make Allen a more tradeable commodity (with another year of his very reasonable rookie contract an enticement to any team looking to acquire affordable assets, thus excepting only the Knicks).

It goes without saying, then, that if the Celtics don’t yet know what they have in Allen, they likely have no idea where he fits into the “plan” (presupposing a “plan”). Could he build on his promising rookie season, adding a more consistent shot and a more coherent offensive game, he’d fit in quite nicely going forward. It’s not unreasonable to think Allen can be a 15-20 ppg scorer in this league, which, on top of his defense and associated gunplay, would make him something of a slighter and more athletic Ron Artest. That, of course, is the ceiling. The floor is, well … when you’re facing prison time, virtually bottomless.

A healthy, engaged, unincarcerated Allen would prove immensely valuable to the Celtics. Not only would it increase his return on the trade market, it would allow the Celtics to move one of their more “conventionally” tradeable commodities instead (think Gerald Green). Unfortunately, what action he’s seen this preseason has done little to settle the quandary. With the arrival of Sebastian Telfair and Rajon Rondo at the PG, he’s fighting for scraps at the SG (with West assuming most of the backup minutes here). His best chance to see the court with any consistency may be backing up Szczerbiak at the SF, particularly with Rivers’ stated intention to go small more often this season; his worst chance to see the court from the Cook County jail (not sure of the rotation here, but defense will come surely come in handy).

If this column left you many minutes poorer and no richer in understanding Tony Allen’s place with the Celtics, you’re in good company. Or at the very least Danny Ainge’s. This season will likely see the “fish or cut bait” moment for a few other of the Celtics’ young tacklebox, Allen foremost among them. For the sake of this extended metaphor, Tony Allen, and a front office that desperately needs to reel something in, it’s a pregnant moment indeed.

By Rich

The power forward situation for the Celtics this season should be an interesting battle to see who gets the brunt of the minutes, who is the starter and who finishes the game.

Today we will be looking at the power forward position battle between Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes and also touch on the potential contributions of Leon Powe and Brian Scalbrine, briefly…..just to nauseate people and force you to all to remember that Scabaline is signed for several more seasons.

Okay, I am kidding about writing anything more about Scalabrine so you can read on.

Ryan Gomes

Considered too small to play the Power Forward position and too slow to play the Small Forward position Gomes fell to the 50th selection in the draft prior to last year. Most Celtics fans were happy with the selection as he was the Providence Friars for 3 seasons of the 4 he played. The fact that he played 4 seasons might have actually worked against him in the topsy-turvy world of NBA General Managers and the NBA Draft. Gomes is mature, has a tremendous motor and brings little things that may not show up on the stat sheet like boxing out, taking the right angle on the break and just bringing a tremendous basketball IQ to the team. Gomes is a complete player in many respects. He has worked hard on his mid-range game to compete for the Small Forward minutes and also worked on his quickness to combat the bigger Power Forwards. Gomes biggest drawback is his size but he mitigates this by playing smart basketball. Gomes may not even be 6’ 8” but he has a nice 7’ wingspan that makes it a little easier to reach for rebounds. Speaking of rebounds Gomes is a very good rebounder, especially on the offensive end where his quickness and nose for the ball allow him to beat his opponent to the spot.

When Gomes was thrust into the starting lineup after Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins were both shelved with injuries he immediately set himself apart by bringing a little something to every aspect of the game. Earlier in the season he looked overmatched and it seemed there were reasons why he was the 50th selection. By the end of the season people were shouting from the rafters of the new Garden for more Gomes. Gomes’ energy and intangibles should always garner him 20+ minutes a night. Whether he starts and finishes game truly depend on what the Celtics get from…..

Al Jefferson

“Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking….into the future” –Steve Miller Band

When Al Jefferson was drafted it was considered a coup as he was considered to be a top 10 talent. Al didn’t disappoint much in that first season with glimpses of greatness on the offensive end. It was noted in many scouting reports that he never met a cheeseburger he wouldn’t eat but we heard out of the Celtics front office that he was working hard, a la Kendrick Perkins the previous year, to drop the baby fat and get in better shape. Skip to year two in the Summer League, just 6 weeks removed from the end of the regular season and that work out regimen we heard so much about must have been on the back burner. Al looked slow and heavy and failed to impress in any way. This was written off as an aberration and maybe it was but with Al going down in preseason with an injury his potential wasn’t realized in the 2005-06 season. I would like to write last season off as a lost season due to the injuries and maybe we all should but. Whenever you talk about Jefferson the word ‘but’ always seems to rear its head.

Jefferson is a naturally gifted low post player with range out to 15 feet but really excels at the back to the basket type post play. He has an uncanny knack for getting a good look almost every time he touches the ball. He also has a Zach Randolph-like ability to never pass once he touches the ball.

Jefferson has serious issues on the defensive end. He is a terrible help defender who looks clueless even after 2+ years of NBA competition. Last season I liked to say Dan Dickau couldn’t guard a stationary chair. With Jefferson I wouldn’t go that far, he could guard a stationary chair but if you added rollers to it he would be hard pressed to keep up. If he did happen to get in front of the chair invariably Jefferson would use his new skill—trying to take a charge. I haven’t seen so much falling in the paint since Vlade Divac was in his late 20s.

Jefferson is a solid rebounder and should continue to improve in that area of his game. One way for Jefferson to improve would be in fouls per minute. He has had a tendency of getting into early foul trouble which limits his effectiveness.

Unfair comparisons to Amare Stoudemire right out of the gate may have given Celtics fans a stilted view of what Jefferson can and can’t do. This is the year to put up some numbers and show solid growth for Al. With Ryan Gomes as his chief competition Jefferson will only be limited by Jefferson. There can be no more “tremendous upside potential” claims without some semblance of production.

Overall

The Celtics will have difficulty matching up on the defensive end with either of the two potential starters. Gomes will have trouble on the low blocks by size alone and Jefferson will have troubles just playing man to man defense. On the offensive end Jefferson will be able to create his own shot and be an impact player but if Gomes cannot stretch the defense a little further than he did last season he will be hard pressed to get any offense outside of hustle plays at which he abounds.

Look for Ratliff, Perkins and Powe to get some minutes at the Power Forward position throughout the season but Ratliff and Perkins will primarily be used at the Center position with little overlap. If Scalabrine garners more than 5 minutes a night consider the season on the brink of disaster. I think we would all rather see the corpse of Brian Grant if not Leon Powe and his incredible story (if you haven’t read about Leon Powe do yourself a favor and Google him) than any minutes from Scalabrine.

It is not too much of a stretch to say “as the Celtics Power Forwards go so go their chances at the playoffs”. If Jefferson and Gomes can provide the third option and a legitimate low post presence throughout the coming season and limit the opposing Power Forwards the Celtics chances to get back in the playoff hunt rise exponentially.

By Dylan

After a trio of players (Marcus Banks, Dan Dickau, Orien Greene) failed to impress last year at the point guard position, Danny Ainge went into the offseason once again looking at an uncertain future at the position. With the draft day addition of Sebastian Telfair and the de facto drafting of Rajon Rando, Ainge has found two exciting young players to battle Delonte West for billing as point guard of the future. Each of the three brings something different to the table not only on the court but flexibility should a promising trade offer arise. Over the course of the preview, a deeper look will be made into what each brings to the table.

Along with Shaun Livingston, Sebastian Telfair was the first point guard to go directly from high school. While Livingston has started to make a name for himself with the LA Clippers, Telfair is looking at Boston as a fresh start. That’s because after two rough years in Portland, the one time Louisville commit is dogged by many of the same questions that hounded him coming out of high school. These questions regarding the former New York high school legend centered on his shot and his lack of size. It is these issues that have lowered the ceiling on Telfair’s potential in some eyes, while others think that playing in Boston’s wide open style, Telfair will thrive. Most likely, the truth probably lies somewhere in between.

Either way you look at Telfair the fact remains with the new rules changes in the NBA, the value of a good to great point guard has gone through the roof. Even though Telfair has had two less than stellar seasons, Boston still had to give up the seventh pick (albeit in a weak draft) to acquire the talented point guard. Judging from this exchange, it is clear Telfair still has plenty of value around the league. However, this will be a big year for Telfair. If he can prove he can take the reins of a team and lead the Celtics while stepping up his defense, Telfair will set himself up for a pretty pay day.

As Celtic fans have found out from Chauncey Billups, bringing along a point guard takes time. However, in today’s NBA, very few teams have shown the patience that is necessary in developing a point guard. That is why in entering his third year, the mercurial Telfair will be under the gun to perform. After an above average summer league, the pieces are in place for Telfair for break out. If Doc will let Telfair play to his strengths, the former Trail Blazer could become the Celtic point guard of the future. However, judging from how poorly Rivers handled Marcus Banks it will come as little surprise to this observer if Telfair gets frustrated by the ever meddling Rivers. The only thing for certain is there will be some bumps in the road for Telfair in the beginning.

On the flip side of Telfair, coming out of the 2004 draft, Delonte West was the classic shooting guard trapped in a point guard’s body. Despite a solid junior year at St. Joseph’s, West slide till the 24th pick because of his lack of a true position. Now after two solid but injury plagued seasons, West has established himself as a solid rotation player in the NBA, but despite this he is at the crossroads of his career. With the additions of Telfair and Rondo at the one and West’s inability to his use right hand, young Delonte will be in an uphill battle for minutes at the point guard spot.

A lot of Delonte’s problems are self inflicted. As mentioned earlier, in his first two years, West has developed no semblance of a right hand. This has been killer in his development as a point guard, because he often has troubling getting in the lane and creating easing scoring opportunities for his teammates. Plus in his two years here, West has been battling nagging injuries that have hampered his continual development. While his light frame has played a role in this problem, it has also caused defensive problems for West as he has had trouble keeping bigger, stronger point guards in front of him. Not all is bad with West as he is one of the best shooters on the team. Also, he is a surprisingly good shot blocker for his size.

Taking that all into consideration, it is likely that West will be coming off the bench in a role of instant offense. West’s early preseason comments have indicated he is more than willing to do this. Ultimately, this seems like the ideal spot for West. He will be able to hide the weaker parts of his games against team’s second units, while excelling against inferior opponents. For some older Celtics fans, his play in this position projects in my eyes to be a better version of Jerry Sichting. This will not only position West for a nice payday come the off-season, but make him highly attractive to a contending team looking for a solid role player who can knock down an outside shot.

Last and certainly not least is the Celtic who has raised the most eyebrows this pre season-Rajon Rondo. The scouting report on Rondo was he was a very athletic pure point guard who had problems with his outside shot. There were many observers that felt the Kentucky product was being held back by his college coach Tubby Smith. Whatever the case, many felt Rondo’s skills would translate much better to the pro game. While the shooting issue will continue to come up for Rondo, one thing that will not is his defensive ability. The Kentucky products quickness, anticipation and long arms will cause opposing point guards nightmares all season. After some stirring play in the early preseason games, it appears Rondo will be in Celtic green for years to come.

With all three prospects still developing, the point guard battle will be an interesting subplot to the Celtics season. Before the preseason, it appeared Telfair would be the starter, West would be coming off the bench in a combo guard role and Rondo would be seeing some spot minutes. Now in light of the glowing play by Rondo, look for the rookie to take the reins as the calendar turns to 2007. This scenario will likely put Telfair on the trading block (along with a few other Celtics), while West will continue to see minutes off the bench. After three years of failed experiments, it appears Ainge might have finally solved one key position for the Celtics future. And for a franchise that has struggled for 15 years to find a consistent semblance of point guard play, it is a welcome sign.

By Mike

Anyone who has been paying even a modest amount of attention to the Boston sports scene over the past few months has heard all too much about the ebb and flow of negotiating leverage as rookie contracts approach their expiration date, courtesy of the standoff between the Patriots and wide receiver Deion Branch.

While the smoke was clearing from that crossfire, somewhat happier news of a similar situation involving the Celtics and one of their recent draftees came and went with much less fanfare. Despite concerns over recent (ridiculously expensive) deals given to centers of similar potential, the Celtics were able to sign Kendrick Perkins to a four year contract at very reasonable rates, at least in relation to the stratospheric guaranteed money of today’s NBA.

As with any success on the court, time pushes the Celtics onward to a new set of challenges. The Perk signing is an achievement to be proud of, but the Celtics and their fans are all too aware that the team faces similar contractual challenges with an unusually large number of their young players.

Under the collective bargaining agreement in effect up until this season, all NBA first round picks signed a three year contract with a one year team option. Salaries for each year of these deals are determined by the players’ draft slots. This system creates a ticking clock for every team as they evaluate where their young players fit into the future makeup of the squad.

A Tale of Two Draftees

In 2003 the Celtics acquired Perk and Marcus Banks in a trade of draft picks with Memphis, and the outlook for the two could not have been more different. Banks was a marquee player, a point guard the team sought to solve the team’s woes at the position. Perk arrived as an unheralded and overweight high school draftee with limited offensive skills.

However, through dogged persistence in the weight room and on the court Perk remade himself into an intimidating force over the next two seasons. His reward was the Celtics’ exercise last summer of the team option for his fourth year followed this offseason by his contract extension. Banks on the other hand grew into what the Cs’ front office and coaching staff saw as a frustrating blend of unfulfilled potential and unjustified overconfidence. The Celtics declined to exercise his fourth year option, and after a half a year of injury avoidance and sleepwalking they traded Banks to Minnesota.

Over the course of the coming season the Celtics will face decisions on several of the players that the team’s PR machine has touted as prime assets of the team’s long-awaited resurgence. The skill and timing with which Danny Ainge decides to keep or deal these assets will go a long way to determining how the Paul Pierce era will end in Boston.

The Decisions at Hand

The 2004 draft saw Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen enter the league, along with recent acquisition Sebastian Telfair. All of those players signed a three year deal, which will expire after the upcoming season. The team has this season and the next to evaluate (or deal) Jefferson, West and Telfair, all of whom have had their options picked up. By contrast, Tony Allen continues to wonder whether his fourth year option will be exercised by the team by the October 31 deadline.

The Celtics have a similar time window to make a decision on Ryan Gomes. Unlike the first rounders listed above, Gomes entered the league as a second round pick in the 2005 draft, and thus was not subject to the same contract requirements as the first rounders. Instead the Celtics signed him to one year deal with two one year options. Their control of him extends to the end of the 2007-08 season, just as it does for the 2004 first rounders.

A few people might say that all of these players have played well enough to deserve more time in a Celtics uniform. In the NBA, the “soft” salary cap (as opposed to the NFL’s hard cap) would appear to allow a team to re-sign as many of its free agents as it wants. However, the realities of the situation extend past the legalese of the salary cap rules.

The burden of allowing the team’s payroll to exceed the luxury tax threshold and the desire to retain some roster flexibility mean that the decisions to pursue extensions with each of these young players cannot be made in a vacuum. A decision to sign one player to a lucrative extension will necessarily mean that the team has less of an inclination to sign another player at the same position to a similar deal. There are only so many minutes and cap dollars to go around. This dynamic will be seen most clearly at two positions, point guard and power forward.

The Floor Generals

Before Rajon Rondo began announcing his impending stardom to everyone from Walt Frazier to George Lopez, it was thought that Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair would battle this season for the title of Celtics’ point guard of the future. Now that Rondo’s play has earned him significant minutes at the position, the competition between the 2004 draftee guards appears less direct. But the contract decisions on West and Telfair still remain.

Will Telfair’s talents in penetrating and distributing the ball earn him a contract befitting a rising point guard star, or will he be dealt to yet another team to try to make his mark on the league? Will West’s court sense be packaged in a deal to bring back a big man, or will the unique talents he brings to the combo guard role make the Celtics’ second unit into an asset rather than a liability?

The (Somewhat Small) Big Men

The competition is more direct at power forward. Two seasons ago Al Jefferson was a rookie phenom straight out of high school. Last year Ryan Gomes rode a stellar second half of the season to make the All-Rookie second team. Many teams would love to have such young talent to build around. And yet, success for these two players seems far from assured.

Defensive weaknesses and questions about their role in the future make it hard to peg a value for either of these players. Their age seems to cloud matters further. Is Jefferson simply a high school draftee who needs more time to grow into his body and NBA team defense? Is Ryan Gomes a player with a low ceiling who benefited as a rookie from the maturity developed over a four year college career? Paying one might not necessarily preclude paying another, but the team must think hard before it could ever sign two players with similar defensive deficiencies to suck up the bulk of the minutes at such a key position.

The Question Mark

Tony Allen’s unexercised option brings an added dimension to the rookie contract discussion. It is clear that the number of years remaining on a player’s contract creates part of his value, but in a rookie deal context it is not altogether clear how that value is assigned. Some might say that the more control a team has over a young player, the more they will pay for him on the theory that they can take the additional time to evaluate his fit with their system. Others argue that the NBA’s holy grail is the expiring contract, which gives a team salary cap flexibility when the contract is wiped off the books at the end of the year.

While recent quotes from Ainge seem to indicate that Allen’s option is all but picked up, you can bet that the team is not just waiting until the deadline as a formality. While a big part of the delaying tactic may be to monitor Allen’s court case, an equally significant factor may be the hope for an upcoming deal for which the option to end Allen’s contract after this season would prove a valuable asset.

While this column raises more questions than answers, over the coming days three of our Full Court Press contributors will explore different aspects of the decisions described above. On Friday Dylan will provide a profile of Telfair and West and how the Rondo Revolution affects them both. On Monday Rich will analyze the differing games of Jefferson and Gomes, two young power forwards that excite Celtics’ fans for different reasons. And finally on Tuesday Sean will have an examination of Tony Allen’s situation. We hope you’ll stop by.

As the Celtics’ preseason got underway we asked three of our FCP contributors to sit down and answer some of the pressing questions facing the club. The early ticket sales for the Rajon Rondo Bandwagon and the surprising trade for Luke Jackson have created a new set of unknowns for the Celtics in few short days, but the team’s fundamental building blocks have not changed. Let’s take a look at where things stand at the front end of the preseason.

Q: The Celtics’ much rumored Iverson deal around draft day fell apart. In some quarters it was reported that there were discussions of a multiteam deal involving Wally Szczerbiak, Gerald Green and the #7 pick, but that those discussions fell apart due to a demand to include Al Jefferson (among other rumors). If this report was accurate, would you have made the deal and sent Jefferson on his way?

Mark: I would have pulled the trigger on the deal. I have serious concerns about the long-term health of Al Jefferson’s ankle. He is way too young (21) to have a string of injuries to the ankle area. In my mind, the real potential damage to the Celtics would have been in giving up Gerald Green after one year of his career. Iverson is not a “pure” point guard, but he is a singular, dynamic player. Iverson has led teams deep into the post season surrounded by players that while they have ability are second or third tier players in the NBA. His ability to run, slash and penetrate through traffic with the ball could have been huge for the Celtics.

Mike: I don’t think so. I’m probably going against the grain on this one but I don’t think the team should be trading away a ton of chips for Allen Iverson even if it doesn’t involve a young big man with scoring potential. Iverson has always been a spectacular talent and a true competitor in the purest sense of the word, but from where I am sitting it looks impossible to build a team around him. If you play him at point guard he dominates the ball and destroys any continuity your team could hope to have on offense. If he plays shooting guard, his natural position, you also need to pick up a PG like Kirk Hinrich who can defend bigger shooting guards on other teams. Those guys are hard to find, and certainly aren’t already on the Celtics’ roster. No matter who he defends Iverson is a liability on defense and only getting worse as he ages. I’m not going to pretend that I understand the dynamics of an NBA locker room but I have to assume his practice example and leadership style would be just as likely to hurt the young guys on the team as help them.

But with all that said I am such a homer that I’d be cheering wildly for him as soon as he pulls on a Celtics uniform. Mike Gorman may gush a little too much about him for my taste, but he’s right when he says that the guy is a special player.

Steve: It will be difficult for me to detach the fan side of me on this question, since Allen Iverson is my favorite player to watch in the league and I’m sure that I’d be spending half my winter at the Garden if he were on the C’s. It’s so difficult to get over the hump in the NBA that we might as well see the most exciting player in the league for a few years, right? I could offer a testimony to Iverson’s basketball heart that would make Peter Gammons’ tribute to Andre Dawson when he signed with the Red Sox seem like a scathing attack.

Of course, Danny Ainge can’t and shouldn’t think that way. The team has been weak for a long time at the four and the five position and they just have no short term or long term answers in place if they ship Al Jefferson out of town. That doesn’t mean Jefferson will be a world beater; year two was a sobering experience on the Big Al bandwagon. The only accurate description of his 05-06 defensive play is brutal. He seems like the nicest kid in the world, but toughness is a vital character trait in the NBA paint. The correct action is to be patient and give him time to develop, and all of us were probably guilty of thinking it would come immediately after his excellent (especially offensively) rookie campaign.

Paul Pierce loves Allen Iverson, and would probably buy a red carpet on the way to Logan to pick him up, but there would be a clear duplication of isolation on the offensive end. They might have fun, and they’d probably win several more games than they did last year, but ultimately the team would have the same issues that they had when Ricky Davis was alpha dog II as they would with Iverson and Pierce. It isn’t going to happen.

Q: Which player has the most to gain from a good preseason?

Steve: I think that Sebastian Telfair has the most to gain from a strong preseason. The minutes are going to be there at the point guard position if he can distribute the ball and play solid defense. Rondo is an unknown quantity in that he’ll have to prove that he’s not a complete offensive liability in order to play meaningful minutes in the NBA, and with Doc at the helm that is probably going to be a very tall order. Telfair is a veteran, and if he can get other people involved in the offense (a strangely tall order on this team that always seems to revert to isolating Pierce at the sign of any adversity), he’s going to get a healthy chunk of Delonte West’s point time.

Mike: Gerald Green closed last season with some eye-opening play, but he may be the victim of a numbers game this year. Doc and Danny keep claiming that the team will have a shorter rotation from game to game this year despite the claims that the team has a great deal of young talent. It seems like Perkins, Jefferson, Gomes and Ratliff will get the inside minutes, and Pierce, Telfair, West and Wally are locks on the wing. Which leaves one wing slot to get true rotation minutes. Tony Allen is a question mark after last year and Rondo is still a rookie, so a big preseason from Green could get him into a three man rotation with PP and Wally at the SG/SF slots. Of course, part of the good showing would be for Green to show he won’t get lost on defense as often as he did last year, as Pierce and Sczczerbiak will not be winning any awards for defensive intensity anytime soon. If Green shows that his learning curve has continued its sharp climb then he may got a shot at learning on the job when the games actually matter.

Mark: I am thinking Kendrick Perkins has the most to gain from a solid preseason campaign. We all assume that Perk will start for this team, but I think that a good preseason (which would consist of less fouls and more offensive production) could solidify his position, increase his projected minutes, and move Ratliff a little further down the bench. I make no bones about it, I am a huge Perkins fan and have been from the get go. I think he needs a good preseason to show the coaching staff that he is the man in the middle.

Q: Doc Rivers: get him gone or the right guy for the job?

Mark: I am a Doc Rivers fan, and admitting you have a problem is Step 1… I believe. I know that Doc is probably one of the weaker X and Os coaches around, but he has Tony Brown who is a fantastic basketball tactician. Doc’s strength is in the personnel management, for lack of a better term. I think he’s done a really good job at getting solid contributions out of young players. I know his detractors will point to Marcus Banks, but I think you could make a pretty good case right now, in this town, that for all his physical abilities Banks is not a top tier NBA player. Now, the ultimate concern is whether these young players (Perk, Jefferson, West, Gomes, and especially Tony Allen) can take the next step in their careers from promising young players to solid NBA contributors. I don’t think any of these guys has to become a star like Pierce, but they all need to be more productive this season or Doc Rivers could be on a slippery slope with ownership.

Steve: The easy answer is to say “get him gone,” since even the best and most successful NBA coaches eventually seem to get fired or pushed out. I do think that this is one of the more difficult rosters to work with in the NBA. Besides the youth, almost everyone in the regular rotation is a “.5” player. You have a 1.5 (Delonte), a bunch of 2.5’s (Pierce, Green, Wally), a 3.5 (Gomes), and a couple of 4.5’s (Jefferson, Perkins). Ainge’s draft strategy has been to take the best player available, and in most cases he’s done quite well for himself. I don’t think however that this is the easiest team to manage, and the overall weakness on the defensive end probably has limited in the past how many answers Doc has when the opponent has a mobile big man or point guard. Hopefully the addition of Ratliff and Rondo will help this weakness, along with having a healthy Tony Allen all year. Doc stays the year, but I don’t think he will survive when the win total ends up in the thirties.

Mike: I certainly don’t think Doc is at the top of his profession. He seems incapable of managing his team’s rotations, to the point where it seems like every other game finds the Celtics with 5 subs getting run off the floor by an opponent playing 2 or 3 starters. Similarly it is rare to see the Celtics play a solid game two games in a row. Most people would lay that at the feet of the youth movement, but the coach has some say in that too.

Even so, when you look around the league I think half the teams could say the exact same things, or worse. Doc may be a younger and better spoken basketball version of the “good baseball man” that keeps getting managerial jobs even though his teams suck, but he has done some positive things during his tenure that have seemed to slip under the radar. For example, after years of being given carte blanche under the Jim O’Brien system, Paul Pierce openly challenged Doc during his first season with the club. Doc used a firm hand with PP a couple of times in public, and since then has worked behind the scenes to communicate with his star. Obviously Pierce himself deserves the lion’s share of credit for his transformation over the course of last year, but Doc did a lot to foster that growth. I’m ok with seeing him stay on a little longer, in the hopes that the young players mature in time to take advantage of the continuity keeping him would provide.

Q: Does Leon Powe make any contribution this year besides spotting Brian Scalabrine on the bench press?

Mike: I would be surprised if Powe didn’t get some minutes somewhere along the line with the injury history that the Cs big men have. Watching him in college you could see he had an NBA body and could hold his own in any wrestling match under the glass. The question will be whether he can be resourceful enough on offense to overcome his lack of size and questionable jump shot. It seems foolish for a team to play one sub-6’8” power forward, much less two. But I’m not counting this guy out.

Steve: Powe is a great kid and I’m rooting hard for him to be successful. It’s unlikely he’ll make a statistically significant contribution as Gomes did in ‘05-’06 (he may not even make the final roster), but I see him grabbing some key early fourth quarter rebounds before the season is out. Betting on hard work and maturity in the NBA is usually a sound prospect.

Mark: Leon Powe will probably see a lot of minutes, in the NBADL. Which is where he belongs right now. It’s a numbers game, and the math probably doesn’t add up for him until someone gets injured.

Q: How will the PG minutes be shared at the start of the season?

Steve: I think that it will break down 20 (West), 20 (Telfair), and 8 (Rondo) in your average early season game, with West also getting 10 or so minutes at the 2. Telfair is going to have to play well to keep and increase this workload.

Mark: I am looking at Telfair as the starter, and I think he will probably get somewhere in the realm of 30 minutes per game, like Delonte West did last season. But, given Rondo’s nice play in the preseason thus far, that could change. I expect that Telfair will step up his game accordingly and remain the projected starter.

Mike: Telfair will be the starter because the Cs have put too much of an investment into him not to. Also I think Delonte West is a player who will accept coming of the bench for the good of the team better than Telfair will after his trying experience tumbling down Portland’s depth chart last season. I personally would like to see West get more time at the shooting guard and play alongside both Telfair and Rondo, and it appears that Rondo’s play early on has the team leaning in this direction. However, if Doc really does want to keep the rotation short, I could see Rondo being broken in slowly with West getting more minutes at PG.

Q: What do you think the ceiling for this team is, as presently constituted?

Mark: I have been projecting this team in the 40-44 win range, and I think that will get them a nice seed in the postseason. More importantly, I think that this team will be able to win by playing a lot of young guys in their rotation. This team needs to win this year, but I don’t see them winning the whole thing this year.

Mike: I think 45 wins and a division title is not outside the realm of possibility. As with most of the past few years, you look around at the Eastern Conference and no one is really jumping out at you as a complete team. New Jersey is not running away with the division this year with Cliff Robinson and Jason Collins logging big minutes inside, no matter how much mileage Uncle Cliff gets from his mysterious anti-aging medication. That kind of season would be a rousing success, and yet if the team is a few games above .500 at the all-star break and has a bad west coast trip I would not be the least bit surprised to see a housecleaning, even though a 45 win season is within their grasp. It’s an interesting tightrope to walk.

Steve: I’m not as bullish as Mike. I think that they still have too many questions inside and too much talent at the same position. Even if Jefferson, Ratliff and Perkins stay healthy (which frankly would be a miracle), they’re going to need defensive production out of Jefferson and offensive production out of Perkins. I think that a .500 season would meet the top of my expectations, but I’m expecting a 33-35 win season.

Q: You have the extreme good fortune of being Gary Tanguay for a day. Sow the seeds of doubt by undermining a perceived strength of the team with a “just throwing it out there.” Bonus points for being obviously incorrect.

Mike: Kendrick Perkins. The team just committed over $16 million dollars to the guy, and we have no idea if he can play a full season. He has had a handful of good games, mostly against soft centers like Sam Dalembert of the Sixers, and now he has a recurring shoulder problem that could cause him to shy away from contact. I’m just throwing it out there, but I think we could see him start to shy away from contact to protect himself now that he’s got a long term deal.

Steve: Despite the universal presumption that Doc and Pierce got along last year, my best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with a girl who heard Pierce call Doc a “chode” at Mistral last night. I guess he sounded pretty serious.

Mark: I’m Gary Tanguay?? My first question is: Why am I always so orange on TV? The home of the Celtics can’t afford a makeup artist??

I do not believe that Paul Pierce wants to be here any longer. Why would he? So he can help more young players develop? Pierce has his money, now he wants his ring(s).

By Mike

With the start of another season comes another new beginning for the Boston Celtics.

Twenty years ago this fall Boston’s storied basketball franchise was hanging its 16th NBA championship banner. The club that brought the championship home to Boston was one of the greatest ever, its long list of stars all proud of their willingness to subordinate their own glory to the team’s success. Since then the team’s achievements have been limited to a few shining moments in the earlier rounds of the playoffs. With each passing season the team’s shrinking fandom grows more restless as the memories of past glory grow more faint.

This particular edition of the Celtics looks much like the last few. Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge has earned every letter of that excessively lengthy title with a lot of roster churn over his four years overseeing the club. As with the prior models, the 2006-07 Celtics enter the season with a team full of youth surrounding Paul Pierce and a few other veterans at different locations on the spectrum of usefulness. However, unlike last year, there are fault lines running through the club in particular and the league as a whole that appear certain to take this team a long way from where it stands today by this time next year.

The current roster has been sculpted according to Ainge’s personnel strengths (the middle and lower ranges of the draft) and weaknesses (free agent signings). There is an unusually large number of players approaching the expiration of their rookie deals in the next two years, and as was seen with Marcus Banks last year the team will have to make a decision on each sooner or later. Overlaying this evaluation effort is the urgency imposed by the status of the Celtics’ resident superstar, Paul Pierce. During the summer Pierce received a three-year contract extension on par with the elite players in the league, which probably should have been accompanied by the installation of a giant hourglass at the end of the Celtics’ bench. With each Pierce paycheck comes a clearer realization that every day the team does not contend for an NBA title is another day closer to the end of Pierce’s prime.

The uncertain nature of the roster around Pierce is now mirrored for the first time in a few years by an equally uncertain outlook for the team’s coaching staff and management. Ainge can no longer be said to be building the team from scratch; the roster is his handiwork at this point, for better or for worse. His chosen coach to lead this young team to respectability, Doc Rivers, is entering his third year, which is notable because both Ainge and Rivers have talked in the past about a “shelf life” of three seasons for a coach. By the end of three seasons of a coach’s regime either the team is keyed in to what the coach wants or else the players have begun to shut him out. At this point it’s hard to imagine both Rivers and Ainge keeping their jobs if the team ends up in the draft lottery again.

All of this could be said to be the usual outlook of a team developing (some would say groping around for) a winning foundation, but the league backdrop adds another dimension to the uncertainty.

In recent years there had been little question of how to build a winner in the NBA: acquire two marquee stars by hook or by crook and then fill in around them with veterans who know how to play a physical brand of defense and win close games. The Pistons’ championship in 2004 had been a departure from that formula, but the unique defensive skills and clutch play of that Detroit team did not really cause a rash of copycats around the league.

During the early rounds of last year’s playoffs the NBA pundits noted that the recent rule changes and officiating directives had created a new flavor of basketball, where dribble penetration was highly valued, overly physical defense was penalized, and teams began playing a more wide open pace. The success of the Suns and the Mavericks, and to a lesser extent the Clippers and the Bulls, illustrated this new formula for victory. Until the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the Finals, at least, a new day had dawned in the NBA.

However, just when it seemed that the new-look Mavericks would usher in the new era for the league the Miami Heat outlasted the Mavericks in the Finals and took home the title. Miami was a team constructed around the special talents of Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade and the canny experience supplied by a host of veterans. In the classic reactive mode of sportswriters everywhere, the same people who had been blowing trumpets to mark the league’s sea change started talking about teams needing to find that second superstar to take them over the top just like in years past.

After the keyboards cooled off for a few weeks after the Finals the Celtics seemed to join in the chorus of Heat worshippers by making a well-publicized bid for Allen Iverson. Iverson of course is a marquee player who could fill the superstar role next to Pierce, and the rumors of the deal sent copy editors scurrying to brainstorm headlines employing new combinations of “The Truth” and “The Answer.” However, when the Iverson deal fell through, Ainge kept his trading hat on and acquired Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and Rajon Rondo as part of multiple draft day deals. No superstars in that group, but the pickups brought with them ballhandling and interior defense that had been sorely lacking from last year’s team.

So here the Celtics sit, having assembled a team which on paper boasts the ballhandling and shooting skills to excel in the “new” style of game, but having made clear their desire to acquire a superstar to pair with Pierce under the O’Neal-Wade (or less successful Pierce-Walker) model. The early quotes out of camp describe an added emphasis on up tempo offense to get easier shots in the open floor for the Celtics young talented players and older shooters as well. But even with this apparent effort to form an identity with the assets they currently have, you never know when Trader Danny may pull the trigger on a three-for-one deal that casts the team’s lot in a new direction. If you’re a fan like me, it’s going to be fun to watch this develop.

***

Much like the new beginning for the Celtics, this post marks a new beginning for the BSMW Full Court Press. Jon Duke, who had ably captained this page in past seasons, has moved on to become a regular contributor to the Celticsstufflive podcasts, which are highly recommended to anyone looking for a unique take on the Celtics and some great guests. We’ll miss Jon, but we are still hoping we can lure him back to give us his thoughts on the team as the season gets underway.

In the meantime, like any baseball team who loses a superstar closer and can’t replace his production, the FCP will be going with a bullpen-by-committee approach to try to make up for Jon’s departure. (Hopefully that will be the last baseball analogy you see in here for a while, unless Dr. Charles is interested in putting us on the payroll.) We have assembled a solid group of contributors from around the country who all have different viewpoints on the team’s positioning but a common interest in pulling for the next championship for Boston’s most successful franchise. As the season progresses we will be trying some new approaches to our column format, but we’ll also be unabashed about “borrowing” the highly successful roundtable format from the boys over at BSMW’s Game Day Rear View. Our inaugural roundtable will be posted tomorrow, and we hope you’ll check back then and often for more thoughts on the Celtics and the NBA in general.

Kevin Henkin is a freelance writer who has written for various publications including Boston Sports Review, the Boston Metro and Barstool Sports. His likes include strong team defense, savvy point guards and long walks on the beach. Dislikes include Gerald Green, selfish play and shallow people.

Alan Assner’s basketball knowledge dates back to his boyhood while idolizing the 1985-86 Celtics. Although Al was very fond of the original “Big Three”, he also held a special appreciation for benchwarmers, largely derived from his own personal experiences in youth basketball. This explains his passing infatuations with players like David Thirdkill, Connor Henry and Carlos Clark. These days, Al puts his unique knowledge to use by writing for BSMW’s Full Court Press and sporting the same haircut as Fred Roberts during the 1988 season. Also, since Dennis Johnson passed away, Al has been using his post-retirement physique.

For comments or questions, contact the Full Court Press at kevin@bostonsportsmedia.com.