Ecstatic. If I were asked for a single word to describe my mood after hearing Danny Ainge had traded for Kevin Garnett, "ecstatic" is the word I would choose. There have been some great moments in Boston sports during the past decade. The Red Sox signing Pedro Martinez and watching him become the most dominant pitcher in baseball. Tom Brady replacing the injured Drew Bledsoe and leading the Patriots to an improbable superbowl victory over the heavily favored Rams in New Orleans. We saw Adam Vinateri become the greatest crunch-time kicker in NFL history, while Big Papi became the most feared slugger in the majors, with game winning hits time and time again. Bill Belichick, the defensive genius, kept the Pats focused on their way to winning an NFL record 21 straight games. And in between their 2nd and 3rd superbowl triumphs, the Red Sox decided the time was right to snap their impressive 86 year losing streak and sweep the world series, embarassing the hated N.Y. Yankees in the process.
Anyone noticing a trend? As remarkable as recent times have been to the Patriots and Red Sox, Boston's most legendary franchise, the one with 16 championship banners, was going through the most embarassing stretch in their otherwise immaculate history. The Celtic's misfortune had extended relentlessly over a stretch of 20 years. The drug overdose of future star Len Bias. The brittle back of Larry Bird and the ankle injuries to Kevin Mchale, both of which caused their early retirements. The shocking death of team captain Reggie Lewis. The hiring of M.L. Carr and the 15 win season. Throwing 50 million at Rick Pitino and losing the Tim Duncan lottery. Years and years of bad trades, inept management, and poor draft picks. Picking Ron Mercer ahead of Tracy McGrady. Trading Antoine Walker for Raef Lafrentz. The Vin Baker fiasco. Losing to a pathetic Pacers team in game 7 at home. Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers. Brandon Roy for Sebastain Telfair. Missing out on Oden and Durant. The list went on and on and on.
I must admit however, admist all these disasters, there were at least 4 positive memories. Chief among these was the C's remarkable 21 point 4th quarter comeback in game 3 of the eastern conference finals against New Jersey. Paul Pierce played out of his mind, while Walker ignited the team. Though they eventually lost to NJ in 6, that game was special. Unfortunately, none of the other 3 memories have anything to do with winning ball games. One such memory was "the floater," courtesy of Sherman Douglas. I never saw such a consistently, effective shot from such a mediocre performer. Second was the crunch-n-munch guy at the fleetcenter. Of course, dumb-ass Pitino felt he was too distracting and promptly had him canned. This maniac ran down 20 plus rows of seats at full speed, yelling "crunch-n-munch!" at the top of his lungs, before shoving his boxed snack in some poor guy's face. In those years, he was more entertaining than the team. Last though certainly not least was Gino, the fruity, disco-dancing hipster who would appear on the jumbo-tron anytime the Celtics were trailing by double-digits. Sporting a giant beard and flaming pink tee-shirt that was at least 3 sizes too small, Gino would shake those hips and for the briefest of moments, every last fan in the building felt like a winner.
But on Tuesday July, 31st 2007, an event occurred that easily eclipsed all previous experiences. Danny Ainge pulled the trigger on the deal of the decade, sending roughly half of the stagnant squad to Minnesota in exchange for the most selfless superstar in sports, Kevin Garnett. A 7- footer who runs the floor like a small forward, KG brings an incomparable work-ethic and passion for the game to a team desparately lacking in both. The leagues leading rebounder 4 years running, KG is an all-defensive team mainstay, as well as that rare star who does not need the ball in his hands to impact the final score. While you can pencil him in for 23 points a night, he will do whatever is required to win, a sports cliche that is far overused and even less frequently true. Though 31 years old, Garnett has more than enough great years left to justify his new extension, which will keep in Boston through the 2011-2012 season.
In all fairness, Ainge didn't give up peanuts for the "Big Ticket." Feeling pressure from star Paul Pierce as well as local media and fans to win, Ainge basically abandoned his personally initiated youth movement in one fell swoop. Does this make him a hypocrite? A little bit. However, part of the reason for stockpiling so much young talent was to accumulate players who would bring substantial trade value should the right opportunity present itself. When Garnett became available, Ainge knew that this was the time to strike. One could make a compelling case that KG is no worse than the 4th best player of his generation, trailing only Shaq, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant.
So who did the C's give up? The centerpiece of the deal was Al Jefferson, a talented 22 year-old with great post-moves and a knack for rebounding. I would not be surprised if he becomes an all-star within 2 years. The second key to the deal was Theo Ratliff's expiring contract, which will free up lots of cap space for the T'Wolves when his deal expires at year's end. Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes are valuable commodities who could have solid careers down the road. Gomes possesses the smarts and versatility to be a strong asset on a contender, while the wildly inconsistent Green has the greater upside and may help sell tickets. In a move that can only be considered addition by subtraction, Ainge also unloaded malcontent Sebastian Telfair. I'd bet my life savings that he shoots a civilian in the back before he averages 8 assists a game for a full season. A pair of additional future (lottery protected) draft picks were thrown in to seal the deal. Jefferson and Gomes in particular should join Randy Foye and Corey Brewer to form a solid young nucleus for Minnesota to build around. Still, history has typically shown that when 3 or more players are traded in exchange for 1 bonafide superstar, the team landing said star has been the primary beneficiary. Apparantly, Kevin McHale didn't do his homework.
Garnett joins Pierce and newly acquired Ray Allen to form the conference's most dominant three-some. All 3 players are among the top 5 at their positions, a claim no other current team can make (with the possible exception of Phoenix). The Allen trade has almost flown completely under the radar in recent weeks, but should not be overlooked. One could make the case that the former 'Jesus Shuttlesworth' has been the best shooter in the N.B.A. over the past 10 years. He's automatic from the line and hits better than 40% from the 3-point line. While not quite as explosve as he once was, he can still slash his way to the basket with ease and last year averaged a career best 26 pts a game. He is also a very good passer and ball-handler. And fortunately for Boston, he's only the team's third best player.
Pierce, the captain, has been with the team since being drafted in 1998. Over that time he has become a dominant scorer in the league. One of the strongest small forwards in basketball, Pierce is as comfortable on the low block as he is coming off the dribble from the top of the key. An excellent rebounder and above average passer, Pierce also has a terrific knack for sinking difficult shots with the game on the line. In crunch time, he will remain the primary option, although with Garnett and Allen on the floor, he may finally avoid the constant double-teams he's been dealing with for the better part of his career.
While it may take some time for the 3 stars to gel comfortably on offense, there is little doubt that they will make it work. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen are all at a point in their careers in which winning has become the most important goal. They've compiled their stats, earned their millions, and been selected to multiple all-star games. However, none of them have reached the N.B.A. finals. Each has lead a flawed team to the semi-finals, but never before have they had the talent surrounding them that they will now. With KG and Allen in their 30s and Pierce nearly there himself, all understand that their window to win the big one has just been kicked wide-open, but will likely close in 4 or 5 years. This should create a sense of urgency and focus as they lead what's left of the team towards this common goal.
The team still needs more help to strengthen the ultra-thin roster. Having given up 5 players in the Garnett deal, they are short on bodies, the recent acquisitions of guard Eddie House and forward Scot Pollard not-withstanding. The latter will join Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and the often verbally assaulted Brian Scalabrine in the paint. Actually, Scalabrine could end up as the biggest beneficiary of the KG deal. He hustles, plays defense, and can shoot the occasional 3, and will be an afterthought as opposing defenses focus on Garnett. Rajon Rondo will run the offense, though here's hoping Ainge finds a veteran point guard to split time with him. Rondo has proven to be a pretty good decision maker, is extremely quick, and causes havoc on defense. Still, he can't shoot to save his life and is very young. This season could go a long way in determining what kind of point guard Rondo will eventually become. Tony Allen, who has shown flashes of brilliance, but is injury-prone, rounds out the backcourt and should return by December. Rookies Glen Davis from LSU and Gabe Pruitt from USC complete the roster.
Though lacking a deep bench, having Garnett, Pierce, and Allen together could very well be enough to get the Celtics back to the finals, a stage they haven't visited since 1987. Last year, Lebron James almost single-handedly lead Cleveland through a depleted eastern conference on their way to being swept by the superior San Antonio Spurs. Should the Celtics make it that far, they would likely fare better, unless Doc does something stupid. Rivers has done a lousy job since taking over as head coach, repeatedly making terrible late-game decisions, while failing to develop the youngsters in a timely manner. Though a likeable guy and great interview, Rivers didn't have the toughness or ability to keep Boston from losing a pathetic 18 straight games last season when Pierce went down. I suppose one could've called them the anti-Patriots.
With 3 established stars now at his disposal, it is inevitable that Boston will at least double their win total from last season. However, I fear Rivers' coaching flaws will become hidden beneath the hype that will undoutedly surround the team's newfound success. Should this group somehow fail to win the Atlantic division or falter in the first round of the playoffs, Rivers should be sent packing. Unfortunately, he and Ainge seem to have formed a bond of 'Brokeback Mountain' proportions, so for the time being, it's unlikely that either will be going anywhere.
Even though the Celtics are not yet on the same level as San Antonio, Dallas, or Phoenix, they are at least as good as anyone else in the east. Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and possibly Miami will be the toughest threats, though all have significant flaws. Boston will create matchup problems for opponents on a nightly basis, who will be scrambling to cover all 3 stars on the court together. And KG should help instill a motivation to play defense that has been absent since Jim O'Brien roamed the sidelines.
But in truth, whether this Celtic team can reach the finals or not, this is a time to celebrate. For the first time in years, Boston's hallowed basketball franchise is on the minds of fans again. Garnett is a future hall-of-famer and the best player to wear the Celtic green since Larry Legend. Come February, the C's will be the team sparking water-cooler discussion at the office, the team dominating the airwaves on WEEI-850, and the team that will be heading to their best record since Mr. Ainge wore number 44 on his back.
Somewhere, Red Auerbach is smiling.
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