Last season, the Boston Celtics had the single greatest turnaround in a season in NBA history—going from Eastern Conference doormats to the league's best record, winning the Atlantic Division title, 66 games, and, most importantly, the NBA Finals.
However, most NBA fans already know that. Now, I can bore you all, stating how great the "Boston Three Party" of All-Stars Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce are. That should be common knowledge. If that's not to you, I suggest watching a ton of NBA TV and ESPN Classic.
You see, the Boston Celtics can and quite possibly will repeat as NBA champions, but not just due to their three All-Stars or coach Doc Rivers. Rather, it's their young studs people should pay attention to.
Those young players include (in no particular order) Tony Allen, rookie J.R. Giddens, Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, and Leon "Powe my God!" Powe. They make up a young nucleus for the future—and the Celtics incredibly deep.
Forget James Posey's significant defensive contributions. Let me tell you something you don't already know.
While these young men mentioned above are not prolific scorers (with the exception of Giddens in college, with 16.3 points per game), they did show flashes of brilliance throughout the regular season and, at times, the postseason.
Guard Tony Allen was particularly productive the season prior to the acquisitions of Garnett and Ray Allen, scoring over 11 points per game. In the event the All-Star Allen was injured, the young guard could step in and at least do a serviceable job.
As far as guards go, Rajon Rondo certainly proved his worth last postseason, which included a 16 assist performance in Game Two of the NBA Finals. As far as I’m concerned, the only reason Rondo doesn’t score more is due to the fact that he plays with three Future Hall-of-Famers. Enough said.
If you think Rondo has a bright future, don’t look past big man Kendrick Perkins, whose stellar play went beyond the box score. At just 23 years old, there is still a ton of basketball for this man to play. Unfortunately, Perkins is out for the time being with an injured shoulder.
As big of a void as Perkins would leave if he wasn't 100 percent at the beginning of the season, the Celtics do have a backup plan.
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3 months ago
How do legitimate players like Loen Powe and Carlos Boozer slip into the second round? Can I PLEASE be named the GM of a team, like, ANY TEAM.
from 2 months ago
Haha John, I feel the same way sometimes.
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