By Kevin Henkin

Well, I guess it takes a completely lackluster first half effort, a late blown lay up by Tony Allen, off games by Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and an inexplicable game clock snafu on a road game against a tough opponent for the Celtics to have to suffer the indignity of their first loss. In my experience, at challenging, soul-searching times like this, it’s best to remember what’s good, to express what we’ve come to appreciate during this nine game start that has exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic of fans. As medicine for the sting of a frustrating loss, I offer you this list of items worthy of such appreciation. When it comes to the 2007-08 Celtics so far, these are just a few of my favorite things…

James Posey – After the game on Friday night in which Posey provided a clinic on what it means to be an enormously effective role player/glue guy, Pat Riley was uncharacteristically effusive with praise for his former player, calling him a “big shot, big game, big time player.” Mea culpa time: I didn’t fully appreciate exactly how good this guy was when they signed him. If Danny Ainge wins Executive of the Year, this signing should be the deciding factor in the vote.

Bob Cousy in the Booth – Historically, Bob Cousy has been a human litmus test for Celtics Nation. His gloomy mood these past several seasons have served as a mirrored reflection of our own collective fatigue from watching too many lousy teams for too long. Now Bob Cousy is happy again, for good reason, and so are we. The fact that he refers to Mike Gorman as “Michael” during their broadcasts together is just the icing on the cake.

The New Red Auerbach Signature – I took a swipe at the Celtics last year for their lack of a lasting dedication to Red (the Auerbach shadow profile was confirmed as intended for last season only) so it’s only fair to heap on the praise for memorializing their patriarch via his signatures near center court written in permanent ink..

The Surreal Garden Atmosphere – Down the stretch of the game against the Heat last Friday, the fans hung on every play, remained standing throughout and erupted with such a force of elation upon witnessing Paul Pierce’s winning drive to the basket that you couldn’t help but legitimately compare the atmosphere to that of a playoff game. It was that good. One has to wonder if the fans can sustain this level of energy over the course of a long season but for now, the Garden has truly gotten its groove back.

The New Veteran Mental Toughness – Speaking of that Miami game, did you ever worry down the stretch that this team was going to bow under the pressure of a close game, or get out-savied by a more seasoned veteran opposing team? Me neither. It’s a nice feeling, isn’t it?

Kevin Garnett’s Attitude – He takes responsibility for losses. He holds sway over fellow superstars (Pierce credited his bizarre push-ups at the free throw line and subsequent domination in Indiana to Garnett’s encouragement to channel frustrations positively). And, he takes no mess, on the court or off. As an aside, did you catch his post-game interview in Indiana where an eager reporter began a series of redundant questions about the Big Three that have been asked ad nauseam since this past summer? Garnett interrupted, essentially asking if this was the first time the reporter had interviewed him since joining the Celtics. Once his point had been made, that such questions were fitting for pre-season fluff but that the focus should now be shifted to the games themselves, he patiently encouraged the reporter to continue. That moment, in my humble estimation, encapsulated the Garnett personality perfectly. Speaking of which…

The Pre-Game Powder Clap – How fun is this? Every game, just before tip-off, Garnett shakes a copious amount of powder into his hands and then claps them directly over the head of play-by-play man Mike Gorman (who has since wised up to the new routine and now covers his dapper attire with towels when Garnett approaches). Like Crash Davis once said, this game is supposed to be fun. Fun, god-dammit!

So as you wrestle for the last turkey leg this Thanksgiving, take a moment to include your own list of favorite things about the new-and-improved Celtics among your list of counted blessings.

By Mike Brilliant and Al Assner

[Editor’s Note: This week, we’ll begin a regular feature here at Full Court Press, which presents the back-and-forth banter of two of our writers (Mike Brilliant and Al Assner) who tackle the issues of the day. If you’re looking for snarky pop culture references, self-indulgent asides about recent trips to Vegas or personal anecdotes about friends and family members with clever nicknames, you’ve clearly come to the wrong place. Mike and Al are all about the basketball.]

Al:

Okay, a little over one week into the season, Could it have started any better?  

Mike:

Weeks one and two couldn’t have started any better for your Boston Celtics.  They started 5-0 against four playoff teams from last year.  Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are as advertised, if not better.  KG’s intensity is not only rubbing off on the whole team but on the Garden fans as well.  And I don’t remember Ray Allen taking the ball to the hoop as much as he has. That’s been a bonus.
 
The biggest surprise to me so far is the defensive output of the Celts.  They HAD to be better than the teams we’ve seen over the last fifteen years, but I didn’t know they had the potential to be one of the best defensive teams in the league.  The one downside so far is the injury bug.  James Posey hurt his back in the Denver game, Scal suffered a karate chop concussion and then you suffered an ulcer from over-excitement (or over-eating) at the home opener.

Al:

Agreed that this was obviously a great start.  No one would have predicted a 5-0 start where everything that could go right, did go right.  Other than the injuries, the one thing that concerns me is the expectations.  Personally, I thought this was a 52-55 win team going into the season. At this point, though, 60 wouldn’t be out of the question.  I think it will be interesting to see how they respond to being the team with all the expectations.  Will the expectations affect Doc’s Coaching?   Will they affect the younger players?

Next topic:   What do you think the biggest hole is on this team right now?  

Mike:

Well, besides the head coach… ….going into the season, I would have definitely said point guard.  I thought that Rajon Rondo was better than most so-called “national experts” predicted, but through thirteen games (including eight in the preseason), he hasn’t been prone to the foolish turnovers he showed us last year.  And he’s directing and pacing the offense while staying out of the way of the “New Big Three” and occasionally going to the hoop for an easy lay-in.
 
So all that said, my biggest concern is now at the center position.  Kendrick Perkins is playing as effective as hoped.  He’s getting the occasional slams just by being on the court.  But more importantly, he’s playing good defense and getting some boards. Well, getting boards that KG hasn’t grabbed already.  But I feel like we have no depth at the position.  Pollard has not impressed.  And it seems he’s not impressing Doc either.  After getting extended minutes in the first game, “Mr. Crazy Pork Chop Side Burns” has seen fewer minutes with each passing game. At the beginning of each game, they should announce, “Introducing Scot Pollard, who will officially be filling the role of Kandi Man this year…’ At this point, I’m looking forward to mid-season when they can either sign P.J. Brown, Chris Webber or another TBA veteran big guy.
 
Al:

I would say my biggest concern is the lack of depth at point guard and center.  As much as I like Eddie House, he is not a backup point guard. And I though I like what Pollard gives you, I prefer a big man who could provide them with 15-20 solid minutes, some boards, etc.  Not sure who that could be, but I sure hope it isn’t Chris Webber.  He wouldn’t fit that role.

I’m also concerned about the minutes.  I think to keep it going for a whole season, the Trio needs to average no more than 35 minutes per game.  Otherwise I am concerned about injuries and fatigue.

Mike:

I agree that the minutes will become an issue later in the season if not closely monitored. Why has Rivers continued to play Garnett for the first sixteen minutes of each game?  I’d say that’s a bit too long that early in the game with out a rest.  Also, with the team up by forty points in the third quarter of the Denver game, why not sit Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen for the whole last quarter?
 
Otherwise, I’ve been very encouraged with the play of James Posey, Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine.  Posey has shown his strengths by playing defense and hitting those spot threes.  House has shown he can score in bunches.  I’m also surprised in the early going by his ability to push the ball on the break.  I was led to believe that he has absolutely no point guard ability yet I think he’s shown adequate skills at the one spot.  Scalabrine has played the Mark Madsen/Eduardo Najera, hoops dirt dog role.  Funny how he played the same style during the last two years and he was considered a dolt.  Now that we’re winning, he’s heralded as the perfect role player.

Kevin:

Next topic: Van Halen. What song best applies to this stellar start to the season?

Mike:

Get lost. This is the Mike and Al column. And enough with the Van Halen references already. Save it for your next fancy gimmick column. Sorry but we’re talking basketball here, Lester Bangs.

Next topic: How has the Celtics’ chemistry come together so quickly?

Al:

Chemistry has come together because Garnett, Pierce and Allen are gym rats who love basketball.  If either of them were not as dedicated or like Gilbert “Terrell Owens” Arenas, it might be a problem.  Garnett is such a great leader.  He never puts himself first and is so intense.  Seeing him up rooting for the second unit with a thirty point lead was telling.  Basically, your team is usually good if the best player is also a leader.   It was sort of odd watching the post-game press conference the other night with Garnett on the podium with Pierce.  Yes, Pierce is the captain, but Garnett is the leader.  They should just name them co-captains so they can share the responsibility. Both of them were not great on their own.  But to share the load might provide them with relief.

Mike:
 
Who would be the perfect acquisition(s) later in the season for this team?  Choose up to two.   
 
Sam Cassel (buyout)
Skinny Antoine Walker (buyout)
Fat Antoine Walker (buyout)
Chris Webber (UFA)
P.J. Brown (UFA)
Dale Davis (UFA)
Vitaly Potapenko (UFA)
Earl Boykins (UFA)

Al:

I’d go with Cassel and Dale Davis.   I like Davis providing backup center minutes and solid defense.  As I said before, I think Webber is not right for that role. As for Antoine Walker, he would not fit any role here. Unless they needed an M.L. Carr cheerleading-type for the playoffs. 

I think Cassel is the obvious choice to play some playoff point guard minutes.  Might be too obvious though. Usually things like that don’t happen.  But if he was backing up Rondo I would feel a heck of a lot better than with Eddie House backing him up.
 
Next topic: This one is a two-parter. What is your current feeling for the number of wins and a realistic playoff scenario for this team?

Mike:

I originally thought that the Celtics could win 50 games.  But after seeing how quickly the chemistry developed, I’m giving this team 55 wins.  Hey, if Bob Ryan can revise his win total, so can I.  It could even be 3-5 more wins if the team stays totally healthy. 
 
I can see the Celtics entering the playoffs as the #1 or #2 seed.  This would give them the home court advantage for at least the first two rounds.  I think if they have home court advantage in any series within the Eastern Conference, they’ll win.  Hat gets them at least to the conference finals.

By Kevin Henkin

Two-and-Oh, baby! Who’s next?! Who wants some of this?!? Listen up, Duck Boat People, I want all those boats painted green by next June, catch my drift? And someone call the Dropkick Murphys. We’re going to need a new swagger anthem, pronto. And let’s get a few more of those magazine covers featuring the Big Three, huh? It’s been at least five minutes since I’ve seen the latest one. At this point it’s all about respect, yo, and the men in green have it coming to them in spades.

If you find yourself nodding in agreement to all of the above statements, you’ve officially been diagnosed with a syndrome that’s afflicting a growing number of Celtics fans these days, called Irrational Exuberance. Other symptoms include a strong denial of your team’s shortcomings and a sudden urge to ridicule Knicks and Lakers fans everywhere. No worries, though, because a cure is available. I offer it to you in the form of a breakdown of each position as seen through the eyes of the afflicted, offset then by a carefully measured dose of reality.

Point Guard

Irrational Exuberance

Rajon Rondo is lightning quick, super-crafty on the break and he thieves the ball like Scalabrine does a paycheck. He’s also been working relentlessly on his previously shaky jump shot all summer, which is terrific news because he’s basically being left all alone by panic-stricken defenders doubling up on Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. After Rondo, there is a seemingly endless list of capable backups, including Eddie House (formerly Steve Nash’s backup in Phoenix!), stud rookie Gabe Pruitt and the Allens (Ray and Tony).

Even Doc Rivers appears unfazed by a reported lack of depth at the position. On Celtics Media Day, he dismissed the fretting reporters, confidently stating: “I’ve never run a traditional point guard offense so that’s why I’m not as concerned by if we have a pure point guard or not…I think a lot of guys will handle the ball for our basketball team.” In these modern times, the need for a skilled offensive distributor has clearly become an antiquated notion, much like the two-handed set shot and team defense.

Reality Check

Color me a little concerned about the excessive reliance on Rondo. Fine, it’s not an original thought as far as concerns go, yet it remains a legitimate concern nonetheless. So is the utter lack of depth at the position. If either Rondo or House goes down to injury, the rotation will go to hell in a hand basket quicker than Kevin McHale can dismantle a playoff team. The issue I have with the Rondo plan is that he’s essentially been asked to move away from his primary strengths (quickness, aggressiveness and weaving the ball through transition) in favor of a game plan that exposes his weaknesses (poor shooting and turning the ball over in a half court set). It’s certainly possible that Rondo will succeed in the long term, especially given his high talent and commendable attitude. However, his success shouldn’t simply be assumed. After all, his mountain is steeper to climb than that of anyone else in a Celtics uniform this season.

Shooting Guard

Irrational Exuberance

Did you see that Toronto game? Dude is a dragon slayer. Even better, he’s coming off a career best year in terms of scoring average. He accomplished this feat in Seattle despite having a supporting cast of Rashard Lewis and his merry band of Guys Who Can’t Play Basketball Very Well. Now that she’s surrounded by actual high end talent, Ray Allen is going to lay waste to opponents, dropping 30+ on a nightly basis. Then, when he takes a well deserved rest, he’ll be relieved by his namesake, Tony Allen. Thankfully, TA will soon be healthy and revert back to that guy who dominated for at least TEN GAMES prior to his ACL injury last season.

Reality Check

Alright, everyone recite after me: Our stating shooting guard is 32 years old and coming off ankle surgery. Otherwise, there is no reason to worry about what Ray Allen brings to the table. Cross your fingers and hope for Ray’s sustained health. As for Tony Allen, it remains mixed bag. He has good days and bad days, good moments and bad ones. When (if?) he’s expected to regain full form is a true unknown. Although Allen’s brief emergence last season was an eye-opener, his lackluster play prior to that revealed just how ineffective he can be when he lacks explosiveness and a full degree of confidence in his body.

Small Forward

Irrational Exuberance

Up until this season, Paul Pierce’s best wingmen on offense were a succession of players most famous either for their inappropriate wiggling, atrocious shot selection, shooting at their own basket or being more fragile than a piece of wet Kleenex. As a result, opposing defenses were able to throw everything but the kitchen sink at Pierce, especially down the stretch of close games. No longer. With Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen alongside him, Pierce will be able to operate like an artist on a canvas against single coverage. Defending swingmen will openly bicker with teammates about the lack of help until James Posey relieves Pierce and subsequently shuts down the opposing offense almost single-handedly with his glue-guy presence and gritty effort. As for the age factor, Pierce will be able to remain fresh during the season by sitting out the fourth quarters on those frequent occasions when the game is put out of reach in the first half.

Reality Check

Pierce should certainly flourish on offense against less defensive pressure, especially if and when the core players develop an on-court chemistry. Of course, the possibility always exists that a true chemistry does not develop by the time the playoffs begin, or that the diminishing of individual glory doesn’t sit as well with the stars as initially anticipated. Then there is the concern about minutes. The hope is that Rivers will limit Pierce’s playing time in order to keep him fresh for the eighty-two game marathon and beyond, especially after the historically durable captain succumbed to his first serious mid-season injury last year.

Power Forward

Irrational Exuberance

Kevin Garnett is a flat-out one man wrecking crew. He beats his opponents by scoring, rebounding, providing lock-down defense and just out-hustling everyone else around him. Now that he’s surrounded with some real players, Garnett will drag this team to victory by his sheer will on a regular basis. Remember when Larry Bird joined the Celtics as a 23-year-old rookie and improved the team win total from 29 to 61? Expect that same kind of impact.

Reality Check

Actually, everything said about the Big Ticket above is absolutely true. In fact, the very fate of the Celtics season is tied most directly to his health and level of play. If he goes down to injury, the Celtics will go from a very dangerous team to a very average one. Losing Pierce or Ray Allen would certainly hurt, but losing Garnett would be the singular knock-out blow to anything special that this team would hope to achieve this season. He’s that important.

Center

Irrational Exuberance

Kendrick Perkins is ready at last for his long-awaited breakout season. After suffering last year through severe plantar fasciitis and Al Jefferson’s “Make Way for Lay-ups” defense, Perkins is finally free to develop into the second coming of Ben Wallace. Backing him up is Scot Pollard, a seasoned veteran role player who knows how to bang and how to help his team pull out wins. Although both have a tendency to get into foul trouble, that risk will be offset by opposing centers regularly being carted off the floor on stretchers after being abused by this physical big man tandem.

Reality Check

Perkins is who is he is. He’ll likely never have a deft scoring touch and his nose for the ball is not as strong as one would hope for a man of his size and determination. Thankfully, the Celtics have no need whatsoever for Perkins to score and he has an open willingness to do all the dirty work (who makes more of a sincere effort to set picks?) necessary to win games. Pollard adds a complimentary set of skills as a strong rebounder and a high energy player. Then again, it’s difficult to gage how much the 32 year old big man has left in the tank, especially considering his ankle woes that have plagued him since the beginning of camp.

There. Feel better? If symptoms persist, kick back and enjoy the season anyway. And remember to keep those Knicks and Lakers fans on speed dial.

By Matt Richardson

First, some thoughts on that smooth killer that is Ray Allen. Allow me to take a moment echo Mike Martin’s comments here last week about Allen’s all around scoring prowess. Those of us who haven’t watched him closely in the last few years (I hope I’m not revealing myself as a basketball pretender by admitting that I didn’t closely follow Seattle’s campaign last season) most likely developed an image of him as a pure shooter dependent on a steady diet of screens and double picks to get open. It’s been an eye-opener to realize he’s much more than that. He seems to have no hesitancy at all in going to the hoop and can convert easy buckets or dish when in the paint (but he had DOUBLE ANKLE SURGERY, how is that possible !??!?!). Beyond that, the veteran savvy he brings to the table is truly impressive. Watching him, does it even seem remotely possible that he’d make a bone-headed play at a crucial time? He’s like a Porsche; oftentimes not the sexiest of the super-cars, but technically faultless in a way that will serve the owner well when the various Ferraris, Aston-Martins, Lambo’s, etc. are left stuck in the pits due to their assorted imperfections. The one issue I have with him is the shaved-head look. It doesn’t seem to suit him. He looks like the mid-forties wise janitor in bad teen movies. Can’t he at least grow some menacing facial hair or mutton chop sideburns or something? Honestly, if he showed up to the Garden in blue Dickies with a big ring of keys, they’d lead him straight to the mop closet.

Next, some thoughts on Kevin Garnett. Thus far, I’m amazed and incredibly impressed by his focus and demeanor. He’s Brady-like in his intensity and competitiveness, and I don’t believe the Celtics have had anyone like him since Larry Bird. I get the feeling that Paul Pierce has no idea what he’s in for. I think there were times when Antoine Walker pushed Pierce beyond his “I want to win but I don’t want to work too hard at it” credo, and Walker is a guy who routinely stays out too late, gets robbed at gunpoint and fails to meet minimum body fat guidelines. To say that Garnett is going to explode Pierce’s comfortable little bubble is an understatement.

Speaking of Walker, do you think he’s still calling Pierce and ribbing him about playing for a winner? Obviously, Minnesota had a need to get Mark Blount away from Al Jefferson, but getting Ricky Davis and his rolling hydroponics operation out of town was probably a good call too. If his first game for the Heat was any indication, Ricky being Ricky is still in full effect. He wasted zero time alienating his teammates by hoisting up the ball seemingly every time it touched his hands and exhibited his typical laissez-faire defensive effort. He is the proverbial straw that blows bubbles in the drink.

Also observed during that Pistons/Heat game: There was also a discussion amongst the announcers after one of them opined that Alonzo Mourning was the best back-up center ever. Marv Albert named a bunch of guys from the seventies while I was fairly screaming at the TV, “Bill Walton… BILL WALTON !!!!!” Then Reggie Miller went off the deep end, arguing that Mourning was just as dominant as Shaquille O’Neal before the onset of his health issues… Ummm, why don’t you just stop talking for a while, champ. It reminded me of the scene in Goodfella’s where Tommy’s bimbo date is saying that Sammy Davis Jr. is handsome and Tommy gets pissed and says, “He’s very talented. Let’s just leave it at that. He’s very talented”. Reggie, Alonzo Mourning is very talented. Let’s just leave it at that.

Getting back to Garnett, Bill Simmons recently wrote about the existence of alpha dogs on different teams. Does anyone have a shred of doubt regarding who the resident Alpha dog in green might be? Let me approach it this way: Have you ever watched any of those nature shows where a pack of hyenas harasses a pride of lions consisting of females and cubs, chasing them up trees, threatening the cubs, stealing their kills and generally making their lives miserable? Then the male lion returns from wherever it is that male lions go. He sees the chaos and immediately chases down and kills the lead hyena as the rest of the pack runs for their lives and the stoic BBC narrator says something like “Adult male lions brook no nonsense”? Well, Garnett is the adult male lion in this analogy. I get the feeling that he could walk into a room with Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning, and Tiger Woods and the room would wait in respectful silence for him to speak. The obvious response to the above opinion is “But Jeter, Manning, and Woods (and Brady and Bird for that matter) are all winners”. True, Garnett has yet to win anything. But just watching him, don’t you get the sense that he would literally run through a wall to win a championship in Boston ? It’s obviously waaaaay too early to print up tickets to the finals. That said, now that the season is underway, the reality of having Kevin Garnett on this team with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen has set in and yet it remains a very promising scenario.

Finally, Although I thoroughly enjoyed Kevin Henkin’s piece last week based on Van Halen songs, I feel compelled to correct a glaring omission: Unchained. Not only is Unchained Van Halen’s best song (the San Antonio of their catalog, if you will, with Panama as Phoenix and Beautiful Girls as Dallas) but doesn’t it exactly sum up the scenario for Paul Pierce, Doc Rivers, Danny Ainge, the media and all of the fans? No longer is Pierce chained to the anchor of crappy/insane teammates like Mark Blount, Bassy Telfair, etc. etc. No longer is Doc trying to make a dollar out of the five dimes on his roster. No longer is Danny forced to try to sell “youth” and “hope” like a used car salesman trying to move an ’86 Plymouth . No longer are the jaded, cynical Boston beat writers and basketball columnists forced to find new and interesting ways to downgrade the Celtics and every player on their roster. And lastly, no longer are diehard fans forced to sit through excruciating series of losses looking for any glimmer of promise while Tommy says things like “once Gerald Green gets his head out of his rear end, he’s going to be an All-Star”. Unchained. Feels good, doesn’t it?

Change, nothing stays the same, Unchained, now we’ll hit the ground running…

By Kevin Henkin

Wow. Let’s hear a big fat Teddy-Sarandis-during-a-BC-run wow for the karma gods who decided that a reunited Van Halen should descend upon the Garden in the same week that our Boston Celtics kick off their own rejuvenation tour. The similarities between these two collections of talent are just too striking to let pass without comment. Both groups previously peaked in the mid-80’s before either acrimony or poor health ended their respective runs prematurely. Tragically, Sammy Hagar then replaced David Lee Roth, fronting Van Halen during its decline into a banal synthesizer-laden rock ballad nightmare. Similarly, has-beens and never-weres like Dominique Wilkins and Darren Daye eventually replaced the vaunted Big Three. The respective low points were the M.L. Carr lottery tankers and the brief but hideous Gary Cherone era. But no more! The glory train has pulled back into North Station and it’s time to jump on board. So without further ado, I offer this list of “Things to Watch For” dedicated to the bad boys from L.A. and themed upon a typical Van Halen jukebox collection. Let’s pop in a few spare quarters and let the request list begin:

Everybody Wants Some!!

As Doc Rivers has pointed out repeatedly, this happy kumbaya-singing vibe from the Cetlics thus far is meaningless because they have yet to be tested in any way that would cause stress or acrimony. The issue that looms largest with this group is the limited number of touches available between all the players. Obviously, the focus is on the distribution between the Big Three (or whatever you want to call them because like everyone else, we’ll be testing out some other nicknames for the trio to see if any are catchy enough to stick) but there are other players that factor into the equation as well. Obviously, Eddie House adds the most value by launching bombs so he’ll need some opportunities. James Posey, on the other hand, is not a strong shooter yet during the preseason appeared to never meet a shot he didn’t like. Perhaps he caught a Bad Shot Selection Virus from playing alongside Antoine Walker in Miami. If he suddenly starts wiggling after plays or making no-look passes into the third row, we’ll know for sure. As for the Wicked Awesome Threesome, Garnett and Ray Allen have been so unselfish thus far as to sometimes make a few extra and unnecessary passes. Only Paul Pierce has seemed a bit hesitant in giving up the rock. Stay tuned for developments there but Kevin Garnett’s leadership is likely the best mitigant to any of Paul Pierce’s inevitable bouts of self-interest.

I’ll Wait

Thus far, the chemistry between all of the new players has been better than expected. The offense is far from fluid but there have been moments when these guys have clicked and the “Wow!” light has flashed bright. Regardless, it’s reasonable to expect some bumps along the road and for some time to pass before roles are clearly defined and the players learn the nuances of each other on both ends of the floor. The question remains, of course, whether Doc Rivers can establish a rotation instead of experimenting with small or inexplicable lineups or keeping his players guessing as to what he expects them to do.

Somebody Get Me a Doctor

An impressive collection of talent has been assembled. Now the key of all keys is to keep them healthy. Obviously, it’s unreasonable to expect a season without health issues. However, this team is not so deep that it can shrug off injuries to its key players, especially at point guard and center, where the team is already thin. Most important to the team’s high level goals, however, is the health of Kevin Garnett. He is the proverbial straw that stirs the drink on this squad. If he goes down, be prepared for the Celtics to take a sharp turn on the road to nowhere.

Eruption

Speaking of Tony Allen, he remains one of the more compelling storylines of this season. The extent of his recovery could have a substantial impact on this team’s success. If his explosiveness ever returns to full form, he could easily become the anchor of the second squad, which would allow Doc Rivers to limit the minutes of Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, no small feat. In the event that he plays alongside the likes of Garnett, Pierce and Allen, TA could clean up on sneaky passes out of the inevitable double teams. At his best and healthiest, Tony Allen beats defenders off the dribble and attacks the basket with abandon, and with success. Considering the notable absence of a distributing point guard, any other player outside of the Trenchant Trio who is capable of creating his own shot is going to elevate the play of this team.

You’re No Good

This song is officially dedicated to Sebastian Telfair, who makes the team better simply by playing somewhere else. As an aside, remember in the second half of last season when Doc Rivers would play Telfair and Rajon Rondo together? Most of the time, Rondo would handle ball handling duties, which would leave Telfair as the shooting guard, thus further exposing his lack of size and defensive liabilities and confusing his role on the team. Now this preseason, we’ve seen Doc Rivers conducting a similar experiment with Rondo and Eddie House. Let’s hope this senseless experiment doesn’t see the light of day during the regular season. Eddie House should be backing up Rondo at the point while Tony Allen and James Posey serve as the backup swingmen. The team was clearly constructed with this part of the rotation in mind. Obviously, House is a viable offensive threat at the 2, but the team is simply too thin at point guard to unnecessarily expose him to foul trouble against bigger defensive assignments.

Bottoms Up!

Anyone else smell flowers? Must be from all those bouquets that are being thrown at the feet of the Celtics from the recent slew of national media NBA season previews. USA Today had the Three Amigos as the cover story of their preview. Sports Illustrated picked the Celtics to win the East and to closely contend with the best of the West. Although it’s certainly nice to see the boys in green finally receive some attention and recognition, color me at least a little concerned by all the fanfare. Heck, Sports Illustrated also thinks the Knicks are going to be better than Toronto, Washington and New Jersey and that Doc Rivers is the leading candidate for Coach of the Year. I rest my case, Your Honor.

Happy Trails

What a difference a few months can make. In June, fans were punching walls after watching the Celtics lose out on the right to draft either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. They were facing yet another season of marking the progress of youngsters instead of hoping for wins and title contention. Then, within a matter of mere weeks, everything changed. It was like the sudden evaporation of a bad dream, like falling asleep in a Motel 6 and waking up in the Ritz penthouse suite. This sudden and favoarble twist of fate alone is worthy of a permanent smile. The ability to even discuss the Celtics’ chances at title contention remains a privilege of the highest order. In short, who cares about the clouds when the Triumphant Trifecta are together? Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather. Or, just reach down between our legs, ease the seat back and enjoy this inevitable romp of a season.