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| "The Garnett D-Face" |
With last season well and truly in the books, the Lakers raising another banner with their 4th quarter comeback in game 7 against the Celtics. A heartbreaking, painful loss for the Celtics led to the off-season months become a summer of lamenting various aspects of the 7th game of the NBA finals. Pau Gasol had 12 offensive rebounds, a stat which could’ve been avoided if Kendrick Perkins hadn’t torn his ACL in game 6.
With that firmly stacked in the minds of all Celtics players and coaches, the season started with only one thing on the mind of everyone. “Win the NBA championship”. Since the 1980’s, the NBA has undergone a paradigm shift in regards from the once dominant Celtics taking a backseat to the dynasties seen from the Bulls, Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics finally put themselves back on the map in 2008 however when with the additions of Kevin Garnett, an intense, defensive leader and 3 point marksman Ray Allen. With the 2 new Celtics joining stalwart Paul Pierce forming the “Big 3”.
After injuries disrupted the team in 2009 and a terrible second half to the regular season (27-27 after a 23-5 start) the Celtics hit a purple patch and went on an unexpected and spirited run to the finals, before succumbing to the Lakers who avenged their 2008 finals loss. The run to the finals, reminiscent of a Rocky type revival after being beaten for 14 rounds, the playoffs were the Celtics 15th round, only with a Rocky 1 ending.
Moving on swiftly to this season, and the media crowning the newly formed “Big 3” at the Miami Heat champions before they even set foot on the court. No point guard and no centre, but comparisons to the ’96 Bulls were rife. With the Celtics and Heat meeting on opening night, it was the C’s first chance to show that they were still the team to beat in the East. Celtics won the game, limiting the Heat to 9 first quarter points before storming to comfortable win to kick the season off.
Since opening night, the Celtics have performed at a consistently high level, with ESPN columnists saying “right now, nobody could take more than 1 game of the Celtics in a 7 game series". With a 40-14 record heading into the All-Star break, tied with the Heat for the best record in the East, there are some defining reasons why the Celtics should be considered favourites to win the NBA championship this season.
• Rajon Rondo is playing with John Stockton like vision. His stat line reads 11 PPG and 12.4 APG. The elevation of Rondo’s game to an elite level has made him the focal point of the Celtics. He’s sitting atop the tree with Derrick Rose, Chris Paul and Deron Williams as the premier point guard in the game. He also has a FG% above 50, showing his critics that all facets of his game are constantly improving.
• Kevin Garnett is playing with similar defensive intensity as seen in the 2008 title run. “The Garnett D-face” is frequenting the basketball court more often, and his leadership has the Celtics as the best defensive team in the league.
• The deeper rotation at Centre no longer holds the Celtics susceptible to 1 injury giving them such an aerial disadvantage on the glass. With Kendrick Perkins now back playing, Jermaine O’Neal expected back later in the season, “The Big Shamrock” Shaquille O’Neal rolling back the years with his performances this year. If 3 deep wasn’t enough, the rookie, Semih Erden out of Turkey has filled in with important minutes when needed. The formidable rotation means their bigs can match up with most teams, if not all.
• The play of “Big Baby” Glen Davis has him firmly in the running for “Sixth man of the year”. The 3 year Davis is averaging a tick under 11 points off the bench, with 5 rebounds. His ability to take charging fouls has been a constant source of momentum for the Celtics on defence. With the abilty to play at the 3,4 or Center when the Celtics play small, his versatility is proving invaluable and will be valuable downs the stretch and in the postseason.
The most encouraging stat of all as a Celtics fan for me, is their record against the other teams considered to be contenders.
Against the other top seeds in the East, the Celtics hold a 7-3 advantage. A 3-0 head-to-head record against the Miami Heat, a 2-2 record with the Bulls and a 2-1 record over the Orlando Magic has displayed the Celtics superiority over all the East’s contenders. A 6-0 home record over the 3 aforementioned team increases the necessity to secure home court advantage in the playoffs.
With the Lakers struggling mightily (losing to the lowly Cavs last night), the home advantage over other contenders and unrivalled team spirit. The concept of the “Big Green Machine” winning and raising their 18th banner is a concept to start believing in.
* The Celtics are also a part of an ESPN series throughout the duration of the season called “The Association”. A 6 part series, the first two can be viewed here.
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4678578/the-association-episode-1
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