Boston Celtics
 |
09-10 season Cap Room: -23,766,042 Best Bench player: Nate Robinson
9th place Overall Luxury Tax: Yes Fine: $12,703,042 Power Rankings: 4
4rth in Conference Best Player: Rajon Rondo Owner/networth : Wyc Grousbeck/360M
Reached NBA Finals Coach: Doc Rivers Team Value: $447 million
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Starting 5
PG Rajon Rondo PR#4 SG Ray Allen PR#6
SF Paul Pierce PR#10 C Shaquille O'neal PR#8 PF Kevin Garnett PR#9
Bench Grade: A
PG Nate Robinson, Oliver Lafayette SG Avery Bradley, Marquis Daniels, Von Wafer, Delonte West SF Tony Gaffney PF Glen Davis, Luke Harangody C Semih Erden, Kendrick Perkins, Jermaine O'Neal
Was Shaq a good move?
Wednesday afternoon the Celtics made the biggest move of their offseason acquiring the Diesel for the Veterans minimum. Shaq is 38 years old. Do not think you are getting the Shaq that once dominated the league but you are getting a very good center. In an age where good centers in the NBA are extremely rare being able to pick up Shaq gives the Celtics two major boosts. One, they have another big body to throw at Howard so that they will not need to double him. If all things go as planned they will meet Orlando in the playoffs and will be more than ready for him with Kendrick Perkins, Shaq, and Jermaine O’Neal. The second major boost is they got allot stronger in probably the Miami Heats only weakness bigs. Joel Anthony and Ilgauskas are both not well suited to bang down low and the Celtic bigs will surely do lots off that.
I know people will probably say well won't he clog up the lane for Rondo? My answer to that is Rondo is a pass first kind of guy. He has that mentality. And he is good enough to dish the ball at exactly the right time when a big is about to try and stop him once Rondo has beaten his man. Shaq will be a monster target to dish the ball off to and because off Shaq’s size once he catches the ball deep in the lane their is no stopping him.
Shaq makes this team serious contenders again and gives the opposing coaches one more weapon they have to prepare for.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2010-2011 Season Preview
The Celtic surprisingly got all the way to the NBA finals last year and where led by their fearless young point guard Rajon Rondo. But can the Veterans hold on another year. It's tough to say. Kevin Garnett was not the same Garnett even after he was "healthy" but he was still good enough to contribute on both ends of the floor. Paul Pierce looks slow and tired on Defense but when he gets hot their is no stopping him. Ray Allen actually played great defense last year and looks to be in the best shape of all three. So what do I get from that. Although they are not the players they once where their not at the point where they are ineffective and because of their experience they know how to win games. Rondo will have to carry them into the playoffs as they will probably get in as a lower seed. Doc Rivers will rest his big three all season and when its time to wake up, they will.
I give this team this year and the year after to continue this strategy before it is time to give it up, shed the old guys, and build a new team around Rondo and Perkins.
