Celtics Update

I dedicate so much time on this site talking about movies and baseball that I digress to mention the other teams that exist in Boston.  Herego, the Boston Celtics.  Let me express that the Celtics are a team that could have probably made the playoffs.  They have veteran leadership and a good young core.  Rivers is a good coach, no matter what way you cut it.  He’s whipped a group of young guys into viable players.  Paul Pierce is perhaps playing the best basketball of his career and second and third year guys are stepping it up (i.e. Delonte West, Kendrick Perkins and Tony Allen).

Youth is unharnessed energy while age is conditioned energy.  Teaching new dogs new tricks is as hard as teaching old dogs older tricks.  Rivers has had his hands full with the team this season.  Tony Allen’s shenannigans with his girlfriend, Orien Greene’s mis-behavior and as of late the Raef Lafrentz dispute.  He’s also had to build his starting 5 without Al Jefferson and Wally Sczerbiak as of late.  The Celtics are virtually out of the playoff’s and should be giving their younger guys a shot at some valuable late season games.  Maybe that means cutting Pierce and Lafrentz’s minutes.  Gerald Green can only get better with time, experience and tutoring.  Call this his internship.

On to the Celtics draft, which appears to be X-Mas every year for all Celtics fans as Danny Ainge has made steals in the last 2.  In 2004 drafting Al Jefferson, Delonte West and Tony Allen he made instant impacts on the team for the following year.  West has become a conditioned PG, Jefferson has very good post presence but lacks rebounding ethics and Allen is pure energy, athleticism;so much so that he can be problematic.  In 2005, the Celtics acquire Gerald Green, considered the steal of the draft as well as Ryan Gomes and Orien Green; Gomes considered a solid, hard working player.  The core is there and their leader is present.

Paul Pierce is the glue to this team.  You could trade him but this team wouldn’t get any better, less it be for someone better.  Rivers and Ainge havent had a true rebuilding year which could get in the way for the Celtics to make a collective run at a title one of these years.  They are integrating players from different systems and running them around Paul Pierce.  The front office needs to understand that the chips you acquire in the draft, if they don’t pan out or an offer presents itself, can be trade tools as well.  A picks value doesn’t just lie in what he could bring the ball club, but what he could get you as well.  Ainge is holding his cards too close to the vest.  If a veteran such as Kevin Garnett or someone else becomes available, the acquiring of said Center may provide the kick the Celtics need.

Let’s get people around Pierce.  Let’s not put all of our money in on these rookies.  Let’s get some veterans on the team and I guarantee you more games will be won.  As this was a brief overview, I thought it should be noted that the Celtics have the potential 8th pick in the draft.  And while there is speculation of who would fall that far, a potential pick for the Celtics could be any of the following:

-Rudy Gay: SF out of UCONN

-Adam Morrison:PF out of Gonzaga (Though he’ll probably go higher)

-Randy Foye: SG out of Villanova

Some sleepers include FLA big man Joakim Noah if scouts have trouble with his strength and LeMarcus Aldridge, although I’m sure he’ll be gone assuming the Celtics get the 8th pick.  Don’t be surprised if Ainge trades up as well. 

For now, they’ll just be a slightly better than .500 team with something to prove.  Hopefully, a team can unite to ignite Celtic Pride in Boston again.  And I hope it’s with The Truth.