The 2011-12 Boston Celtics

No one team had endured a worst offseason in the NBA than the Boston Celtics. Firstly, missing out on the Chris Paul sweepstakes and alienating their young point guard in the process, the relisation that a jam-packed 66 game season is going to play on a team with aging stars and most recently, losing one of their core players for the season to a heart condition. Even the most dedicated Celtics fan would start questioning the luck of the Irish.

When the media caught wind of the Celtics GM Danny Ainge offering trades, it was crazy to think that they would be actively shopping around one of the most talented and true point guards in the league. Ainge offered Rondo in numerous trades, most notably to Oklahoma City and New Orleans. Rondo’s trade value started dwindling with every rumoured deal and undoubtedly would have effected the 25 year old’s confidence.

It seems as though that Rondo is Ainge's only bargaining tool in rebuilding this team short-term. But did Ainge seem to forget that Rondo was the Celts hero last year in Game 3 of their series loss to Miami? He disclocated his elbow and came back on the court, where others like his playoff counterpart, Miami star Dwyane Wade would have called for a wheelchair and hysterically cried his way to the locker room, never to be seen again.  He came back on and steered his team to an improbable win for the down-and-out Celtics. It was like he was Verbal Kint walking around with that droopy arm, getting one handed steals and throwing down dunks, albeit softly and surprising the unsuspecting Heat, by turning into a Keyser Soze-type assassin. The Celtics, if not for Rondo’s heroics would most likely would have been swept in the series, on their own court, which could have started a cataclysmic chain of events, with Ainge's desk being the first to be cleaned out.  No Rondo trade was made and the Celtics go into the season with their big four intact: Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett with Jermaine O’Neal rounding out the starting lineup.

Ainge was able to eventually strike a deal, quite a good deal in fact, trading Glen ‘Big Baby’ Davis and reserve guard Von Wafer to the Orlando Magic for the hardworking power forward Brandon Bass. Although undersized for a power forward (six foot eight) Bass can get some good position on the boards and has great touch in and around the basket. He has reasonable range on his jumper and is the type of player that will complement Garnett’s game, which is moving further away from the basket. He will be Doc Rivers’ best option off the bench.

They have added Keyon Dooling to backup Rondo and some defensive minded players in Marquis Daniels and Chris Wilcox. Wilcox is a bigger version of Bass and will bang around the basket. In limited time (17.5 mpg) with the Pistons, Wilcox put up modest averages of 7.4 points and  4.8 rebounds.

Just before the pre-season tipped off this week, the Celtics received the bad news that they will be without key reserve Jeff Green for the remainder of this season. Green, 25 was diagnosed with a aortic aneurysm, which will require surgery. It is an unfortunate reminder of the death of their former captain Reggie Lewis, who collapsed during practice in the off-season in 1993. Green is taking the necessary precautions and will hopefully be available in the 2012-13 season.

Pierce and Rondo will have to lead this team going forward. Both will need to continue to attack the rim as well as generating good shots to incorporate their aging bigs Garnett and O’Neal who are starting to slow and find it hard to generate their own shots other than a fadeaway jumper. 

This season could go either one of two ways for Rondo. Either he comes out and forgets what has been said about him and shows that he is the real deal, discovers his inner Tony Parker offensively and leads the team on a deep playoff run OR he keeps hearing Obama’s words play over in his head, starts getting resentful to Ainge, the President, Shaq and the world and is traded to the Mavericks for Brian Cardinal, Cherokee Parks, Popeye Jones and considerations.

Unfortunately age shall weary them this season.  The tight schedule and the East starting to get more competitive with New York, Indiana and Philadelphia getting bigger, more athletic and deeper should end their reign in the top eschalon in the conference. This is definitely the start of a rebuilding process with Garnett, Allen and Pierce within arms reach of passing their primes. They are nicely positioned to be active in next season’s free agent market and can be in a nice position to keep the Celtic Pride alive. One thing’s for sure, Greg Stiemsma could be bigger than Brian Scalabrine!

P.S. Does Brian Scalabrine moonlight as an actor called Michael Rapaport?