Celtics Thoughts

I could not be happier with today's announcement that the Celtics and Rajon Rondo have agreed on a 5-year/$55-million contract extension. The more that I watch Rondo, the more convinced that I become that Rondo is the player of this generation that Boston basketball fans will most identify themselves with. Seriously, Rondo is to the fans of the early 21st Century just like what Larry Bird was to the fans of the 1980s. I'm not trying to say Rondo is equal to Bird on the court but if you watch him play on a regular basis, you will notice he has a Bird-like flair for making at least two or three plays a game that are absolutely amazing. Unlike Bird, Rondo will never carry a team with his scoring but his passing, dribbling, and defense create more than enough opportunities for him to make his mark almost every time he steps on the floor. Rondo has had the good fortune of counting future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen as teammates but all three of them would tell you in an instant that Rondo makes their lives very easy. Having such an elite point guard is a luxury that the Celtics did not count on when they acquired Garnett and Allen two-years-ago but that is what they have in Rondo and it is why they will win their second title in three years. Five more years of Rondo is a great thing. Make sure you are watching... Garnett is off to a solid start but there are still lingering doubts about the long-term health of his surgically repaired knee. The optimist in me wants to believe that he will return to his normal self after a few weeks to get in shape but the realist in me wants to slap the optimist with a 2 x 4. KG lacks explosiveness and I don't know if it will return once he gets back into game shape. I think Celtics fans like myself need to be prepared for a Garnett that is capable of contributing to a championship team but can not carry a champion on his back... I have been promoting the awesome depth of the Celtics since the summer but I think that I underestimated the impact of newcomers Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels. Wallace gives so much to the Celtics on both ends of the floor and at a time when it looks like KG is mortal, his contributions are vital. Daniels is the go-to scorer off the bench and his versatility on offense and defense gives Doc Rivers a lot of options... Kendrick Perkins might just be the third best center in the Eastern Conference, ranking right behind Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh... Enjoy Rondo...