Celtics Are Young But Entertaining

The Boston Celtics officially open their 2005-06 season two weeks from tonight at the TD Banknorth "Garden" against Larry Brown and the New York Knicks. Defending their 2004-05 Atlantic Division championship will be no easy task as vice-president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers have decided to build around a very young core of talent. This approach will probably not bear winning results this year but in the future the Celtics should be built to win an NBA Championship. The young C's -- the oldest current player on the roster is Mark Blount and he will not turn 30 until November 30th -- will certainly go through rough periods this season as they learn how to play the NBA game but it should pay off sooner than later (similar to the Indiana Pacers earlier in the decade). Just because the Celtics are young does not mean however that they have no shot at contending for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Most young teams are not afforded the luxury of having a star of the caliber of Paul Pierce on the roster and to go along with Pierce are veterans Ricky Davis, Raef LaFrentz and newcomer Brian Scalabrine. The long-term future of Pierce in Boston is in doubt (if you believe some so-called "sources," Pierce could be gone before the start of the season) but as long as he is in Boston, the C's have a chance to win. (Here's my quick take on Pierce. I used to love his game -- a tough scorer who could defend, rebound, pass and make his team better. But ever since they made the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002, it seems that Pierce's game has atrophied. He still scores but his defense has certainly fallen off and although the statistics will tell otherwise, he is not the same rebounder and passer he was earlier in his career. By that I mean Pierce will get rebounds early in the game but when the C's really need one he is nowhere to be found and as for his passing, when was the last time he rewarded a post player with a lead pass after the big man hustled downcourt and beat his man to the block? And his on-court attitude is flat-out unprofessional at times; he obviously is not buying into what Rivers is trying to do and that is a negative influence on such a young team. This February at the trade deadline it may finally come time to deal Pierce.) While considering that this Celtic team could be lucky to win 25-games, there are at least four positive things to look for. 1. The progression of Al Jefferson from promising rookie to a solid contributor in his second-year. Last year, in roughly 15-minutes per game, Big Al averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds. Those are good numbers for a 19-year-old rookie straight from a Mississippi high school but more will be needed from the future of the organization. More like the 19-points he dropped on the Miami Heat in a late season game last year when he attacked Shaq like he would have attacked an opposing player in high school days. IF Al makes the leap to superstar in Year 2 than the C's could be better than some project. (That will not be easy as Jefferson has missed most of training camp and all of the exhibition games with a sprained ankle.) 2. The ability of the young triumvirate of point guards to lead the team. Second-year man Delonte West will most likely start and new Celtic Dan Dickau will probably be Doc's first PG option off the bench. After those two there is battle between third-year man Marcus Banks (a stud on defense but he has troubles running the team, currently injured with a stress fracture in his shin), rookie Orien Greene (a preseason favorite of the coaches) and rookie Will Bynum (a scorer from Georgia Tech). Banks will be kept because of Ainge's infatuation with his athleticism (and his status as a former first round pick) and Greene should beat out Bynum. There is a lot of talent mired in the inexperience of this group -- expect that for every brilliant game by the point guards, there will be two when you will hope for the return of Sherman Douglas. I have especially enjoyed watching Dickau on offense although there is a good chance that he could end up allowing more points than he contributes with his defense. 3. The Gerald Green watch. Remember that Green, taken No. 18 by the Celtics in the June draft, was projected to go as high as No. 3 in the draft. He is one of those players that has the capability to be an absolute superstar if he progresses the way he should. So far he has done and said all the right things but what will he be saying in February after getting handed his third straight DNP-CD? Hopefully Pierce, Davis and the other veterans will take the high-flying Green under their wing, show him the right way to do things so that he can start to take the necessary steps toward being a player. 4. The continued growth (or initial development) of Kendrick Perkins, Justin Reed and Ryan Gomes. You have to hand it to Danny Ainge -- he has built a roster of up-and-coming talent that no other team can match. He took Perkins out of high school three years ago and has seen him transform from an overweight project into a powerfully built prospect. Reed (2004) and Gomes (2005) are both second round picks that will be difference makers on the court in the very near future. Reed is a ferocious defender who has developed a jump shot and Gomes already looks to be the steal of the 2005 draft. If you haven't watched the Celtics play yet, they host the Chicago Bulls tonight. They may not bring back memories of the glory years but this is a team worth keeping an eye on.