It’s an unbelievable thought that it is now January 2010. It seems like yesterday we were watching the Celtics struggle through the 2009 NBA playoffs, depleted of bench options.

The 2009 Celtics were forced, through injuries, to display a toughness not seen from a defending NBA champion in some time. A team decimated by injuries to key players were thrust into the shallows of the early rounds of the playoffs. Facing off first against the Chicago Bulls in round one, the two team’s delighted us to a seven game extravaganza that was certainly one of the most entertaining (first round) series’ in NBA history.

As the ’09 Celtics season came to a screeching halt in a game seven loss to the Orlando Magic in the semi finals, it was apparent that the team was lacking depth on the front line and versatility off the bench. The Mikki Moore and Starbury experiments had failed and the rotations were left to just seven players.

Despite the lack of production from Moore and Marbury, Rajon Rondo developed into a star point guard and undeniable team leader. Glen Davis also showed that he is a certified role player, not to be underestimated. The loss of James Posey, in 2008, left C’s fans and beat writers still contemplating what could have been if Posey’s versatility could have been applied to the over-worked small forward and shooting guard positions. I won’t even broach the topic of “what-if’s” had KG not gone down in 2009– that’s a whole separate article that’s been written too many times.

After the Celtics second round exit in 2009, Danny Ainge flirted with Rasheed Wallace long enough and the big three added some icing on the cake as ‘Sheed signed a contract with the Celtics and Marquis Daniels was soon to follow. The Celtics started the season suddenly looking deep, versatile and intelligent off the bench. The 2009-10 season began as the C’s broke out of the gate steaming to four consecutive, blow-out, victories.

Echoing Kevin Garnett’s promise of two consecutive titles after off-season knee surgery, Rasheed Wallace predicted a 72 win season. I don’t know about you but I kind of winced when I heard ‘Sheed’s proclamation. I didn’t want to hear bragging bravado nor did I feel much confidence in coming even close to 72 victories. After 32 games, the Celtics are 24-8 and 72 wins sounds even more silly now then it did in October.

After the burst out of the Boston Celtics in the first two week’s of the season, they hit a road block as the honey moon quickly wore off. Four losses in seven games exposed Boston’s weaknesses. Age, lack of chemistry, lackadaisical approach to inferior team mates, and carelessness converted into the slowest start to a season since Allen and Garnett came to town. A team that was being compared (talent-wise) to the ’86 Celtics and were easily standing next to the 2008 team went from a proclaimed  72 win team, by their new sixth man, to a team looking to get the season over with and enter the playoffs healthy.

The team’s roller coaster ride of  streaky high’s and inexcusable low’s, landed us in 2010 with 8 losses and injuries to Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Marquis Daniels. I continue to be of the thinking that 50-55 wins and good health are more important than 60 plus wins and a team hobbling on their home-court, out of gas in April.

Key injuries left Doc Rivers with a starting line-up of Tony Allen, Ray Allen, J.R. Giddens, Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace for their first game of 2010. The Celtics beat the Raptors showing that they have the determination, grit and intelligence to win regardless of who’s in the line-up. I guess we can consider this an encouraging start to a year that was supposed to be the Celtics return to the NBA thrown.

I wrote an article for North Station Sports during the off-season declaring our bench able to compete with most team’s starting line-up. I partially wrote the piece to annoy Lakers and Cavs fans and based upon the death threats I received on Bleacher Report, I’d say it worked. However, I never write a story just to get a rise out of opposing team’s fans if I don’t believe in what I am typing. I did believe that the C’s bench can compete with most team’s starting line-up’s but I did not expect Marquis to be out of the equation and Rasheed showing up opening night looking more like Artis Gilmore in 1987 than a guy who was an all-star just two seasons earlier.

Though Rasheed has shown inconsistent glimmers of his former self, he primarily has been out of shape, lacksadaisical, nonchalant and a T-machine (not surprisingly leading the league). In Sunday’s edition of the Celtics Late Night Show, we discussed with John from Red’s Army that Rasheed seemed to be standing behind KG and company. John pointed out that ‘Sheed seemed to be coasting in a manner seen by the Pistons of the mid 00′s. John’s comments enlightened me to the obvious fact that Wallace’s “Piston-like” attitude seemed to be infecting the entire team. John was not implying that the entire team was playing like the Pistons of the mid 00′s but I am starting to see an ugly resemblance to that team’s lack of regular season fire.

Wallace was picked up by the C’s for the obvious assets he supplies the team with. ‘Sheed, most importantly, gives Doc Rivers a quality similar to Kevin Garnett’s and with the Big Ticket not returning until mid January, the Celtics need Rasheed to display those qualities now. The suddenly out-spoken Kendrick Perkins talked to the media about Wallace and Garnett yesterday.

From the Boston Globe:

“I went to him after the Phoenix game and I told him we need him to be a leader right now,’’ said center Kendrick Perkins. Obviously, he could do it. He showed it last game [against Toronto], we just need him to do it every game. Just go out there and be the leader, talking, getting guys out of control when things are going bad for us and things like that. They’re two different players,’’ Perkins said. “Rasheed’s more physical. Kevin’s physical . . . [but he] kind of outsmarts you a little bit. ’Sheed gets physical with you throughout the play. Ticket’s thing is he plays with a lot more energy. He brings intensity. I mean Rasheed does but that’s  one of Ticket’s strong points.’’

Perkins’ key word was “now”. The Celtics cannot afford to have Wallace coast. He needs to step up today and show, as the Globe put it, that he is Garnett’s “basketball twin”. The Celtics bench CAN compete with most team’s starting line-up’s and today the C’s second unit (turned starters) have no choice. They must show their worth and talents. Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins are the lone starters left uninjured. Ray has been effective but he reminds me of the guy in the next cubicle who works his ass off, gets more accomplished then any other guy/girl in the office and you would never know it because he is virtually invisible– immersed in his work. He is a leader but one that leads through the examples of his hard work and accomplishments. Perkins is a work horse but does not yet possess the vocal weight of experience that Wallace, Garnett or Pierce can shout out.

Prior to opening night, I compared Rasheed’s addition to the team to that of Bill Walton’s in 1986. Six months later, I am declaring Wallace’s role much larger then that of Walton’s 24 years earlier. With Rondo in and out of the line-up, the vocal leadership and front line toughness must come from Rasheed Wallace. Garnett’s “twin” must provide the defensive foresight and physical nature left void from Kevin’s injury.

Hard to believe that a guy that I could not stand when wearing blue and red one season ago is now the “big ticket” to the Celtics success in 2010, or at least until the regulars come back healthy.

  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us
  • Mixx
  • Tumblr
  • Google Bookmarks
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Technorati
  • RSS
  • email
  • Reddit

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What should we do next?

Well, since you’ve made it to the end of this post, you might be interested in these related articles and resources.