Isn't it amazing how quickly things can change? Just a few months ago I was embarrassed to be a Celtics fan. Seriously, every time one of my boys brought up basketball, it made me feel like I just got caught wiping a booger under my desk. Not only did the Celts own the worst record in the Eastern Conference last year, 24-58, but also people were actually accusing the team of tanking the season for a draft pick.
Which, of course, was absolutely correct. The Celtics started off the season a respectable 10-13 (remember, this is the Eastern Conference - you don't even need to play .500 ball to make the playoffs), but that success was as fleeting as Lindsay Lohan's singing career. The Celtics lost star forward Paul Pierce to a foot injury and subsequently dropped 23 of their next 25 games. After all of this, we ended up with only the fifth overall pick in the draft. Talk about kicking a guy when he's down. By draft day I felt like the Celts were Will Ferrell in "Anchorman," "Blades of Glory" and/or "Talladega Nights." A once-proud franchise down on its luck, dirty and unshaven. It seemed like all hope was lost.
Then came the Ray Allen trade. You have no idea how happy I was when this happened. I have literally been dreaming of having Allen in a Celtics jersey since I saw "He Got Game" ... in 1998. Sure, Ray is 32 years old and has bad ankles, but he did average 26 points per game last year. On the court Allen's veteran presence will surely take a lot of pressure off of Pierce's shoulders. Allen figures to be quite an upgrade off the court as well. I remember when I was 13, Allen, then in his fifth professional season, won the first-ever Magic Johnson Ideal Player Award. From a public relations standpoint, this is a major upgrade from Sebastian Telfair, winner of the 2007 Possession of a Handgun while Driving with a Suspended License award. Was that an award? I can't remember.
Anyway, even more exciting, Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge spent the rest of summer working on a blockbuster deal, which landed Boston future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett. However, Garnett didn't come cheap. In return Boston sent the Timberwolves Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, Al Jefferson, a 2009 first round draft pick, another first round pick
(received from the T-wolves in an earlier deal) and cash considerations. That's basically a whole team (plus dinner?) in exchange for one man. At this point I don't even feel like it's necessary to explain why Garnett is going to make a huge impact. He will average 20-plus points per game and get double digit rebounds. Also, KG has never had much of a supporting cast and should flourish alongside Pierce and Allen.
Where does this place the Celtics in the super-competitive Eastern Conference? I'd say right near the top. The Detroit Pistons, though still a great team, are not the juggernaut they have been in years past. Another season under LeBron's belt means Cleveland should be better than last year, but due to the Cavs' stagnant offseason, it won't be by much.
The rest of the Eastern Conference should be pretty standard, with a bunch of mediocre teams rounding out the playoff schedule. If KG, Pierce and Allen can stay healthy - and this is a gargantuan if - the Celtics will have a good shot at reaching the NBA Finals. Whether they can win it all is a whole other question, and the answer is probably no ... so I won't get into that here.
So from this day forward I will hold my head up high. I am a Celtics fan, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. From now on, I will wear my colors proud ... I will bear my Celtic green for all to see ... I will pick my nose and wipe it under YOUR desk, and I won't even care.
Until next time, Keep it Reil.
Shane Reil '09 picks his nose a lot.
