Bleeding Green with Envy?

With perhaps the most historical year in Boston sports soon coming to an end, the team in green is set and prepared to make a run of their own. The Celtics, who have made the playoffs for the past three seasons, are set to make it once more, and with the emergence of new and better players, the Celts could possibly be the surprise in the Eastern Conference. Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge has made some very interesting deals and trades over the last two years, but this season, these “crazy” plans are finally beginning to take shape. It wasn’t more than a year ago that Ainge sent Antoine Walker west to the Dallas Mavericks, a move that proved more or less terrilble in the short run for Boston. Raef LaFrentz is a good shooter and a better defender, but his feeble right knee doomed his Celtics debut season, in which he played a mere seventeen games. Newcomer Jiri Welsch was the other player to be shipped over, and his sophomore year in the NBA proved to be his best, where he averaged over nine points per game. Along with perennial All-Star Paul “The Truth” Pierce having a less than spectaclular year, a still adjusting Ricky Davis coming off the bench, and an improving Mark Blount at center, the Green looked doomed to have a rocky year, but their efforts still gained them a respectful postseason berth, only to be swept by the Indiana Pacers and sent home early. The summer of 2004 brought many new additions that will ensure the future success of Boston’s most decorated sports team. The first big deal was the installment of Doc Rivers at head coach, seeing that old Celtics coach Jim O’Brien is now leading rival Philadelphia. The next biggest deal came in the arrival of Gary “The Glove” Payton. Payton’s career is one of the most illustrious in NBA history and he has put aside early resentment with his trade to Boston to help the Celts rebound. With Payton’s leadership at the point guard spot and Rivers coaching, the Celts should and will be a fast running and defense minded team.Many Celtic fans were disappointed with the play of Paul Pierce last year. Usally reliable and deadly from everywhere on the court, Pierce saw his numbers drop to their lowest since 2000. This year, a swifter and stronger Pierce has been looking like the player of old. Hitting threes, penetrating the defense, and grabbing rebounds, Pierce is set to have a great year. The rest of the starting five begins with Ricky Davis. The forward, arguably the most athletic player in the NBA, is finally comfortable with the team that picked him up late last season, and with Payton and Rivers, he will begin to surge as one of the most accurate and exciting players in the league. At power forward is the pre-mentioned Raef LaFrentz, whose defense is valuable to the Celtics game plan. When this seven-footer’s healthy he can be one of the best shot blockers and defensive rebounders in the league. Rounding out the five is center Mark Blount one of the most hard working and dependable big men in the East. Entering his second season a full-time starter, Bount should put up good numbers every night.The supporting cast is also filled with young and athletic ballers, due to the organizations most promising draft in years. The Green picked up guards Delonte West from St. Joseph’s, Tony Allen from Oklahoma State, and Justin Reed from Mississippi, plus forward Al Jefferson from Prentiss high school in Mississippi. The rest of the Celts roster includes a curious pick-up in the signing of Tom Gugliotta, a hard-working veteran who should also show valuable leadership and smart decision making. The remaining team includes Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins, two youngsters on the rise, and veterans Michael Stewart and sharp-shooter Walter McCarty. They’re not the Celtics of years past, but this year’s team has come a long way to make a run for the title. With a new coach, new players and a new attitude, the 2004-05 season will be a good one.