10 things about the upcoming season

[Gant]

1) No Posey

Posey was great. No Posey no title; but that was last year.

Last season the Celtics desperately needed veteran championship experience. James Posey (with some help from Eddie House and later PJ Brown) provided that crucial veteran poise. This year things are different. Take a look: Suddenly the Boston Celtics roster is crammed full with bearers of the one true ring. They know how to do it now.

Best of luck to James Posey and the New Orleans Hornets. The Boston Celtics will be fine without him.


2) The Most Important Thing

As it was last year, the fate of the 2008-09 Boston Celtics lies not in the hands of Darius Miles, Patrick O'Bryant or JR Giddens. Instead the Celtics will fly as high as their stars carry them. It is Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo (yes he's included in this core group) that will lead the way, with substantial help from the other big minutes players like Kendrick Perkins.

No one should expect any sort of drop-off from the all-stars. Garnett and Pierce had top seasons last time around.


3) Ankles

Ray Allen? I never bought into his "perfect ankles" mantra following twin surgeries last year. Now a year and a half removed from those procedures, I believe Mr. Allen will be more efficient, more consistent, and a metronome-steady nightmare for the opposition. Observers of other teams who are hanging their hopes for Celtic demise based on Ray Allen's age are in for painful disappointment.


4) Big Three

Remember the amusing "Big Three" controversy? It's about to completely not matter. Rajon Rondo is going to make it the Fab Four. (Wait, has that phrase already been used?)


5) 12 Minutes

Say goodbye to small ball. The Celtics regularly played Posey at 4 to get him more time. That generally wasn't the best line up (except in the finals). Now they'll stick with large brawny men at the back-up 4 on a regular basis. Those 12 minutes at back up small forward are all that really need to be directly replaced.

Roughly 12 minutes with four interesting candidates to earn that time. I'm sure someone will emerge from the Tony Allen, Giddens, Miles, Walker group to fill this modest void.

Hugs are done though. Sorry but there will be no more hugs.


5) Length and Athleticism in the middle

These were weaknesses last year. This year, maybe a strength.

Guessing Boston could draft him a few years back, I watched Patrick O'Bryant quite a bit in college. He's very long, moves very well, and could help immensely if he works very hard. O'Bryant is one of those long thin agile centers that are among the most unpredictable prospects to enter the league. IF he develops he could give the Celtics a smothering interior rotation. You place the towering Mr. OB next to Garnett and navigating the paint for the opposition will be like moving through a spider web. I REALLY hope he shakes off his Nellie-inspired doldrums and becomes all he can be.

If O'Bryant can develop quickly and earn minutes this will be an incredible team. If he doesn't, that's initially more playing time for Baby and Powe, but the Celtics would eventually have to find a tall back up center as they did last season in PJ Brown.


6) Who Wears Suits?

One way to guess who will play is first to figure out who will sit: Who will the 13th, 14th, and 15th men will be? Once you know that you can tell a lot about the rotation:

Right away I pencil Bill Walker to be inactive. He's coming off surgery and needs to develop, maybe in the D-league.

Gabe Pruitt? He's got to earn the spot. Expecting him to surpass Eddie House in the line-up is asking a lot, and if he doesn't do that I don't see him being regularly activated.

With a full 15 man roster that leaves Scalabrine or Giddens as the other man out. Decisions on this stuff aren't made now; it's all earned in preseason.


7) Miles

Darius Miles might not make the team but if he does he dresses. He's can be a prototype long 3. It's a lot easier for Doc to plug him in there then bite his nails with a rookie.

Three questions:
Will he even make the team?
Remember when Walter McCarty used to teasingly mimic Miles' signature bull-horns head pound after making a basket?
What are the odds in Vegas for Tommy Heinsohn ever uttering the phrase, "I... LOVE... DARIUS!!" Hmmm, that one's probably a longshot.


8) Depth

The other gossamer hope of Celticphobes is that with Posey and PJ gone the Celtics will be severely weakened when the starters are off the floor. Pardon me while I pause for a long and hearty guffaw. I ask who among the returning bench players will be worse this season than last? None. Powe, Big Baby, and Tony Allen should all be better. Eddie House will be just as good. Plus you throw in the modern miracle of Danny Ainge's low-pick drafting ability, mix it all up, and what do you get: More able players than minutes.


9) Find Out What It Means To Me

(Thank you Aretha.) The Celtics have earned near universal respect. Earlier comments here about people expecting a Boston drop off are the rare exception. Almost everywhere the team is pencilled in as the East favorites.

As it should be.


10) A Year Later

Looking back, last season was magical. The pride of the franchise as been restored to full luster. On opening night the 17th banner will rise, joining its companions from 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s...

...Then the games will begin once more and the defending champion Boston Celtics will seek to win another title. The world is green again.

[SLCceltic]

Couldnt agree more about us being just fine w/o Posey
and we did get a lot more atheletic
and longer

I still believe that we need another 7'
Miles making the team would be a nice ending, but i dont want to lose Walker
We really need scals roster spot--------This will be season #4 w/ us right.............only 2 more years, one more until he is expiring
Why wont we buy him out???

[greenbeans]

awesome as always gant, you might wanna brush up in your math though lol.

[Gant]

Oops. I'm out of practice.

Please consider the second #5 as a homage to the league's real MVP, Kevin Garnett.

[ParticleMan]

LOL nice recovery.

i agree about Walker being inactive/D-leagued. i think Scal will join him more often than not. and there is usually at least one injury at any time, so there's the last one.

it's just amazing how much balance this roster has, in terms of vets and youth, skill and athleticism, etc. very impressive.

one interesting thing to note is that the C's were actually one of the poorer teams at closing out games. their team productivity was among the lower third in the league in crunchtime. i expect this will improve as the guys are more familiar with each other.

it's still stunning to me that we were able to put together a championship team essentially from scratch in one year. Sheed is right, it can't be done. But somehow, we did it.

[SonicYouth34]

Great post, I agree with every word. Especially the stuff about Posey.

[elrod enchilada]

Great to have you back in action, Gant. Good post.

I think, right now, we will have an interesting battle between POB, Big Baby and Powe for the 35 minutes backing up Perk and KG. It should be tremendous competition. My money is on Leon to continue his stellar play from the final third of the regualr season. But I am very interested to see how POB develops on the Cs. If we can set off a firecraker in his butt we may have something special.

Likewise at the guard spots I see House, Tony A. and Pruitt fighting for the 30 minutes behind Ray and Rondo. I remain a Tony fan and think he can get back close to his pre-injury form. The problem, as Danny has stated, is that Tony has real issues coming off the bench or playing in short spurts. When he plays long stretches his play improves dramatrically. I suspect Pruitt is a longshot to get more than marginal minutes. It is possible Giddens can muscle in for some of those minutes, but I am assuming Giddens and Walker are both going to be outside the rotation as rookies.

If either Giddens or Walker somehow muscles his way into the rotation, they will bode very well for their future... and the team's.

Back-up 3, as you observe, will be interesting. I suspect Miles and Tony A. get first crack at the 12 mpg behind Paul. Maybe one of the rookies can get minutes here, but I doubt it. Scal is always an option if we get desperate. I think Scal is better suited for the Green Team. http://www.nba.com/celtics/entertainmen ... 08-09.html

I am pretty happy with the team we have right now. Lots of kids on their way up and three vets who should still be in their primes. And some major league and well-earned swagger.

[Gant]

Thanks Elrod.

I just can't see any reason not be very optimistic now. The starting 5 is the best in basketball and as you point out there are so many possibilities for the back up minutes.

If O'Bryant and any of the small forwards blossom they'll roll through the regular season again.

[WHambone]

Gant welcome back. Your post is insightful as always

[GregB]

Great post Gant. Nice to have you back.

Just wanted to comment on your backup SF minutes. I will be interested to see how that shakes out. I am the type who likes to look at the wing minutes combined. Ray and Paul should be penciled in for about 70-74 minutes a night. Leaving about 22-26 minutes of time available. IMO, Unless one of Miles or the Rooks clearly outplays TA. Tony Allen will most likely get most of those minutes. With Walker or Miles picking up scrap minutes when they need size at SF off the bench.

I think Walker has an easier time making the active roster. With no true SF on the team behind Pierce. If Walker outperforms Miles. He could earn himself 5-10 minutes a game. While Giddens will likely only get a chance if Ray or Tony get injured.

[Prophet_C]

WOOOOOOOOOOOO

BRING ON THE SEASON ALREADY!

Good work Gant!

[SeizeCoup]

Yay, Gant!

[Jammer]

Nice work as always.

I think initially Miles will be Inactive, simply due to his 10 game suspension.

I similarly think Walker may start here due to his recovery period.

Pruitt I don't see in the rotation, but I also see him replaced as soon as the Celtics can get a true point guard to back up House, meaning someone who they trust with the ball. That could be next summer, if Iverson were to come for the MLE as I've speculated since last October and billfromboston devoted a post to recently.

Davis I see similar to Pruitt. Whether it's next summer, when Semih Erden hopefully joins the team, or sooner, because of PJ Brown, or someone else (Mutombo, Mourning) joining the team, I think Davis presence in the rotation ends with the next arrival of a center with length and strength.

So, once the season stabilizes, Pruitt is likely to remain Inactive, and one of Walker or Miles would likely join him.

Giddens may have some offensive contributions to add over Tony, and could end up the 5th guard on the Active list.

[Pogue Mahone]

I think Scalabrine will start the season in the rotation (and rightfully so.)

Scalabrine didn't play during the post season, sure, but that had nothing to do with how Davis affected his active roster spot, at least not directly. And let's not kid ourselves; the reason Davis saw time in the post-season was because outside of Perkins we didn't have anyone with girth to deny position on the box. Against lighter, shorter centers, Scalabrine can do that.

Posey and Scalabrine both do much of the same types of things on the basketball floor. Posey admittedly does them better. I actually believe Scalabrine is much better defending PFs but that is neither here nor there. The point remains that Scalabrine wasn't need with what Posey provided.

Currently (and for the first 10 games of the season, at a minimum), Scalabrine is the sole player on the roster who has a track record of legitimately defending big SFs and quick PFs and is available for duty. Until proven otherwise, I think all the talk about Scalabrine out of the rotation is a bit premature.