Boston Celtics: 2008 NBA Champions

[Zen653]

The Boston Celtics won their league-leading 17th NBA title last night. It's the first career championship for Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Celtic lifer Paul Pierce. It was also the first ring for serviceable 15 year veteran and all-round nice guy, P.J Brown. Without P.J's clutch shot in Game 7 of the Cleveland series, there might not have been an Eastern Conference Finals, let alone an NBA Championship.

I knew that this team was special the moment it acquired Kevin Garnett. Any time that you put three legitimate All-Stars on the same team, you know you're going to win a lot of games. Even with the much-maligned Doc Rivers as head coach, I never questioned Boston's ability to win the Atlantic Division and secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

I was less certain about the likelihood of Boston winning its 17th championship this year. It usually takes time for a new team to jell together, yet this club managed to do just that, getting out to an incredible 29-3 start and finishing the season 66-16. The Celtics committed themselves to defense all year long, and the once mercurial Paul Pierce submitted the finest all-round season of his career. Even though he was one of the few holdovers from the previous year, and the only remaining player from the disastrous Rick Pitino era, Pierce didn't whine about offensive touches or doing things his way. The captain deferred to Doc Rivers and his teammates. He listened, worked diligently, and gladly accepted the culture change that Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen brought with them. Pierce didn't step out of the way, he learned to work with others. He shared the ball. He defended the ball. He matured as a player and as a person. He stopped caterwauling after every controversial call. He took over only when it would help his team win games. He never let up. I can't think of a more deserving NBA Finals MVP. This championship wouldn't have happened without Paul Pierce's loyalty, adjustments and heart.

Then there's Kevin Garnett. His infectious enthusiasm for the game inspired everyone. Players mimicked his defensive tenacity. Everyone's defensive game improved by several magnitudes with the arrival of Garnett. Pierce, Allen, Rondo and Perkins all stepped up their games. Assistant coach Tom Thibodeau deserves credit for Boston's defensive prowess as well. He worked overtime with a lot of defensively-challenged players. I saw things this year from Pierce and Rondo that were nowhere to be seen pre-2008.

This Celtics group was committed and focused to winning a championship. The Celtics played very hard for their coach and got along well with each other. They never lost confidence in their ability to win, even when they went through some scoring droughts in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The determination of these Celtics was palpable. Danny Ainge did a superb job of rounding out the team with experienced championship veterans like P.J Brown and Sam Cassell, and with key bench players like James Posey and Eddie House. Even young players like Leon Powe, Tony Allen and Big Baby Davis contributed.

[dlb]

Congrats, Zen. You called this all the way back in January, when I was still convinced that these guys would fold.

The strangest part of it all for me is that I actually ended up pulling for the Celtics. Before this spring, I always referred to them as the (hated) Boston Celtics. No more. I like these guys.

Even stranger, I especially like Paul Pierce. I had written him off as a spoiled superstar wannabee whose ego would be the great impediment to the Celtics winning another crown. I couldn't have been more wrong. Pierce adapted his game almost perfectly to this team, doing what needed to be done with apparently only one objective in mind - winning. He's now my favorite NBA player.

[bedir than average]

This truly cemented my feelings for Ray Allen. He's quite versatile, and more importantly his game knowledge leads him to settling into the number three role, while at times dominating the game.

[Zen653]

Even stranger, I especially like Paul Pierce. I had written him off as a spoiled superstar wannabee whose ego would be the great impediment to the Celtics winning another crown. I couldn't have been more wrong. Pierce adapted his game almost perfectly to this team, doing what needed to be done with apparently only one objective in mind - winning. He's now my favorite NBA player.

You were hardly the only fan to write off Pierce as a selfish second-tier star. Plenty of Celtics fans did the same thing following the captain's antics during Doc Rivers' first year as head coach. Pierce openly fought with Rivers, refused to follow the coach's instructions, and only played defense when he wanted to show up a proven star like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. It got so bad that Rivers started benching Pierce at the end of games. You could see the two of them scowling at one another.

In addition to Pierce's issues with Rivers, he had a knack for irritating the officials by challenging every call and whining like a little kid. Pierce struggled to control his emotions and got ejected from some big games, including a late season match-up against LeBron James where he spat at the Cleveland bench, and a Game 6 meltdown against the Indiana Pacers, where he threw Jamaal Tinsley on the ground after being grazed in the neck. This was an elimination game for the Celtics and a lot of fans wanted him traded for his untimely lack of self-control. A real captain doesn't act that way. To further complicate matters, Pierce made a fool out of himself during the post-game press conference by showing up with a neck brace even though he obviously wasn't injured or in pain.

In fairness to Pierce, this occurred in a season in which he was stabbed 11 times at a night club, just a month before training camp. Yet he played in all 82 regular season games. He didn't have sufficient time to heal emotionally from the attempted gang murder, and perhaps he took out his frustration on his teammates, the head coach, and the referees. (Fortunately, unlike Kobe Bryant, Pierce never turned against the franchise or the city of Boston. He was always complimentary of both and never demanded a trade.)

Everything changed when the Celtics acquired Garnett and Allen. Pierce went from egotistical sourpuss to consummate professional and teammate. He stopped playing 1 on 5 basketball and he deferred to Garnett and Allen. He also became a two-way player, excelling at both offense (with a more efficient shot) and defense. He became an extraordinary passer too, amassing some impressive assist totals in certain games. He also worked a lot harder. He practiced longer, took a ton of extra free throws, and really gave the proverbial 110%. He was totally self-sacrificing, completely satisfied with a low individual statistical output as long as it was best for the team. He went from a liability on defense to a top 10 defender league-wide. I can't even begin to count the number of times he willingly got run over in the lane in order to secure a charging foul. Plus, he started treating his teammates well, the coach well, and even the opposing players and referees.

Bill Simmons of ESPN elaborates on Pierce's evolution:

To Pierce for playing two really good games (Game 1 and Game 2), one stinker (Game 3), one ESPN Classic Special (Game 4) and one jaw-dropper (Game 5). He lifted himself to another level in those last two games, willing himself to the basket time and time again (shades of MJ in the '98 playoffs) and playing some of the greatest defense that has ever been played against Kobe Bryant. He also carried himself with a remarkable level of composure, refusing to get riled up by bad calls or roped into a senseless trash-talking duel with Kobe.

In Game 6 against Detroit, after Bennett Salvatore's horrendous offensive-foul call that erased a potential four-point play for Pierce, what stood out more than anything was the way Pierce handled the whole thing. As recently as three seasons ago, he would have griped about the call, made a few faces, gotten T'ed up and let the whole sequence take him out of his game. In Detroit? He shook his head in disbelief, shook it off and took out his frustrations on the Pistons. I have been watching him for 10 solid years; in my opinion, that specific moment transformed the ceiling of his career from "just another good player" to "someone good enough to be the best player on a title team."

Ever look at yourself in one of those circular makeup mirrors that women use, the ones that light up and magnify your face so you can see every crevice, whitehead, scratch and scar? That's what the NBA playoffs do. It's the circular makeup mirror for basketball players, a big enough stage that we can see every crevice, scratch and scar in their games. And for the most part, that's what you see in the playoffs, especially in the Finals -- you see everything that's wrong with each player. Sometimes, this works in reverse and the player rises to the occasion and makes you think, "Wow, I didn't realize he was that good," or "Wow, I've never seen him play like this!" That has been Pierce in the 2008 Finals. At least so far.

...But Pierce...I mean...We watched that guy grow up. We watched him become a man. We believed in him, we gave up on him, and we believed in him again. I don't mean to sound like the old man in "Pretty Woman," but part of me wanted to walk onto the court Tuesday night and just tell Pierce, "It's hard for me to say this without sounding condescending, but I'm proud of you." The guy gave us everything he had, altered his NBA tombstone, earned a place in the rafters and brought us a 17th title -- just like he promised, by the way -- and his sterling play in Games 4 and 5 ranks among the all-time greatest Celtic performances. We spend so much time complaining about sports and being disappointed that our favorite players never end up being who we wanted them to be, but in Pierce's case, he became everything we wanted him to be. When he held up the Finals MVP trophy after the game and screamed to the crowd in delight, I don't think I've ever been happier for a Boston athlete. How many guys stick with a crummy franchise for 10 solid years, then get a chance to lead that same team to a championship? Does that EVER happen in sports anymore?

ESPN Page 2 - Simmons: Notes from a good ol' fashioned Garden party

I always supported Pierce because I'm one of those old-fashioned fans who loves continuity, and likes to see an iconic player spend his entire career with the same franchise. But I definitely had my doubts about him as both a player and a person, until this most recent season. Watching Pierce this year was a true pleasure. When the championship DVD comes out, I suggest buying it and watching some of Pierce's performances. He didn't put up a lot of gaudy stats, but it was definitely his most impressive all-round season.

As Pierce said during the post-Finals celebration, "I'm not living in the shadows of the other greats now. I'm able to make my own history with my time here. This is something that I wanted to do. If I was going to be one of the best Celtics to ever play, I had to put up a banner and today we did that." (Italicized for emphasis on Pierce's positive attitude change.) "It feels so great. Just to work so hard for 10 long years being with the Boston Celtics, just going through my ups and downs. This is what makes those other moments so sweet, knowing that you were at rock bottom a year ago today and to climb all the way to the top. This is a dream come true and I'm going to cherish it forever."

France 24 | Celtics bask in record 17th NBA title | France 24

[Zen653]

This truly cemented my feelings for Ray Allen. He's quite versatile, and more importantly his game knowledge leads him to settling into the number three role, while at times dominating the game.

I agree with you about Allen. He isn't as flashy as Pierce and Garnett, but he's effectively elegant - he helps a team win, and he does it with a graceful aplomb.

Everyone knows about Allen's three-point shooting abilities. What impresses me about him is his adaptability to different roles. He had never been asked to be a third scoring option or a defensive stopper, yet he assumed both roles quite well. He also learned to create his own shot, something he says he was not accustomed to doing in Seattle where he was more of a spot-up shooter.

I was also astonished by how good he is at weaving into the lane for a smooth lay-up. Most players crash the boards haphazardly, and you don't really know where the ball will end up; half the time, it seems like they're satisfied if they draw a foul, and they don't even care if they score the bucket. Not Allen. He somehow completes those plays to perfection. He makes it look effortless too. He's the Fred Astaire of the hardwood.

Now I'll admit that I cursed him a few times during the first couple rounds of the playoffs when he was one of the worst shooters I had ever seen, but he proved me wrong in the Eastern Conference Finals and Finals. He tied two NBA records - most threes in a Finals series (22) and most threes in a Finals game (7.) There's no way the Celtics would have won the championship without him.

When Allen is on, he's lethal. And it couldn't have been easy for anyone, let alone someone with obsessive compulsive disorder (he's a real life Monk), to focus on basketball as his young son dealt with a series of severe symptoms that required hospitalization during the Finals (Allen's son was subsequently diagnosed with diabetes.)

It's hard not to be happy for all three of Pierce, Allen and Garnett. They all deserve this ring, and as a Celtics fan, I hope there's a lot more hardware in their future. Realistically, though, I think this is a one and done. The Cavs came close to beating the Celtics in Round 2, and I don't think the Celtics will be able to keep this team together (Posey is likely to bolt for bigger money.) Then there's the age factor, plus the Lakers getting Bynum back at full strength. I wouldn't be surprised if the Celtics make it back to the ECF and/or Finals, only to drop a series to the Cavaliers or Lakers.

That said, the Celtics are well-situated for the long-haul. When Allen's money comes off the books, they'll be able to sign another max player and pair him up with Pierce and Garnett. (It might require a sign-and-trade.) To replace Allen, I have my sights set on LeBron James. Can you imagine a lineup with Pierce, James and Garnett? Wow. And don't discount that as a possibility. Lots of guys are going to want to play for a historical franchise with two top-caliber All-Stars. Pierce and Garnett should be very good for another two years, then above average for 2-3 years after that. Allen maybe has one more strong season in him.

[dlb]

The only thing that I find upsetting about Pierce's transformation is that Kobe Bryant might reflect on it, take on some characteristics of a human being, and lead the Lakers to a title next year. I so enjoy hating Kobe. I don't want to give it up.

[djwhokid]

That said, the Celtics are well-situated for the long-haul. When Allen's money comes off the books, they'll be able to sign another max player and pair him up with Pierce and Garnett. (It might require a sign-and-trade.) To replace Allen, I have my sights set on LeBron James. Can you imagine a lineup with Pierce, James and Garnett? Wow. And don't discount that as a possibility. Lots of guys are going to want to play for a historical franchise with two top-caliber All-Stars. Pierce and Garnett should be very good for another two years, then above average for 2-3 years after that. Allen maybe has one more strong season in him.

Give me a break dreamer. By that point the Celtics will have to pay Rajon Rondo.

The only thing that I find upsetting about Pierce's transformation is that Kobe Bryant might reflect on it, take on some characteristics of a human being, and lead the Lakers to a title next year. I so enjoy hating Kobe. I don't want to give it up.

Ummm.. Pierce is not even in Kobe's league. Last time I checked, Kobe has 3 rings compared to Pierce's 1. Kobe is a Hall of Fame player, while Pierce is not.

Kobe not a team player? He did pretty good this year leading without Andrew Bynum. With Bynum healthy, the Lakers are the favorite next year, not the Celtics.

[Zen653]

Give me a break dreamer. By that point the Celtics will have to pay Rajon Rondo.

Read the Collective Bargaining Agreement. After a certain number of years with a team (usually three), a player can be re-signed for any amount, up to the league maximum salary. That's how the Knicks ended up with a payroll north of $120 million, even though the soft salary cap is somewhere at around $55 million. That's how your Lakers of the late 90s managed to pay everyone. It's called the Larry Bird Exception.

NBA Salary Cap - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Boston's case, the Celtics could currently use the Bird Exception to sign Tony Allen to a 6 year maximum salary extension. Obviously the team won't do that, but the point is that players with 3+ consecutive years service time (without being traded or waived during those three years) do not count against the team cap for any purpose other than assessing luxury tax. By the time Rondo's contract expires in 2009-10, he will have played in Boston for five years, thereby allowing Ainge to invoke the Larry Bird Exception.

Now I'm sure there's some type of payroll number the Celtics won't want to exceed, but it's certainly possible for them under the league's rules to keep together Pierce, Garnett, a third superstar, and Rondo.

Ummm.. Pierce is not even in Kobe's league. Last time I checked, Kobe has 3 rings compared to Pierce's 1. Kobe is a Hall of Fame player, while Pierce is not.

Pierce thoroughly out-played Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals. In general, though, I agree with you that Kobe is a significantly better player. I've heard no one claim otherwise. As for the rings, Kobe never won one without Shaq, and he wasn't yet the player that he is today during L.A's referee-aided three-peat. Pair Pierce (or any All-Star swingman) with Shaq in his prime and he'd have the three rings too. Do you really think Kobe would have had more rings than Pierce at this point if he had spent the last 10 years on the Celtics? Supporting cast matters.

And, of course, Pierce is a Hall of Famer. The NBA isn't as rigorous as MLB when it comes to enshrinement. You don't have to be Jordan-Magic-Bird level good to make it into the Hall. Look at some of the names in Springfield (Joe Dumars, for instance) and it becomes clear that any player with at least 5 All-Star appearances and a championship gets into the HOF. (Some get in with less than that.) Pierce has crossed the 5 All-Star appearance/1 ring threshold and will get into the HOF on the first ballot. He also holds the NBA all-time record for consecutive free throw shots in the playoffs. I know that sounds like a lame record, but historians love that type of thing. Plus, he's now an NBA Finals MVP and has been involved in some of the greatest playoff comebacks in league history (overcoming a 20+ point 4th quarter deficit against the Nets and overcoming a 24 point deficit on the road against the Lakers.) He also gets bonus points for being a Celtic. The Hall loves Celtics and Lakers.

Kobe not a team player?

Do you see how he scowls at his teammates in the open floor? He yells at anybody who doesn't catch one of his bad passes. Don't take it from me, read Phil Jackson's book. Don't you think Jackson would be in the best position to comment about his own player? Kobe is one of the most hated players in the league - hated by his own team. He forced Shaq out of L.A, tried to force Bynum out of L.A, then tried to get himself out of L.A when he couldn't win anything alone. Only Memphis' gift of Pau Gasol quieted Kobe and don't be surprised if that changes too.

He did pretty good this year leading without Andrew Bynum. With Bynum healthy, the Lakers are the favorite next year, not the Celtics.

The Lakers were favored this year by you and 7 out of 8 ESPN experts. How did that work out?

Defense wins championships. The Lakers don't play defense. Until that gets resolved, the Celtics are still the better team. Counting on an 18-19 yearold kid coming back from a season-ending injury to be the difference between a championship and a 39-point blowout seems like wishful thinking. This Lakers team would have lost to Cleveland, Detroit or Boston in the Finals because all three of those teams play excellent defense. New Orleans also would have been a tough match-up for L.A in the Western Conference Finals. San Antonio might also have one final run in them in 2009. For whatever reason, the Spurs excel in odd-numbered years: championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007.

[djwhokid]

QUOTE]Defense wins championships. The Lakers don't play defense. Until that gets resolved, the Celtics are still the better team. Counting on an 18-19 yearold kid coming back from a season-ending injury to be the difference between a championship and a 39-point blowout seems like wishful thinking. This Lakers team would have lost to Cleveland, Detroit or Boston in the Finals because all three of those teams play excellent defense. New Orleans also would have been a tough match-up for L.A in the Western Conference Finals. San Antonio might also have one final run in them in 2009. For whatever reason, the Spurs excel in odd-numbered years: championships in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007.[/quote]
Andrew Bynum is 20-years old and was playing like an all-star before he got injured. Even 75% of Bynum is better than Kendrick Perkins and most other centers in this league.

The Spurs are old. They would need to add one more significant player to be a contender. Robert Horry is going to retire, Brent Barry and Bruce Bowen should retire. Michael Finley, Kurt Thomas, damn, these guys are old.

I would agree that the Hornets are a threat.

The only player on the Lakers roster that will decline next year is Derek Fisher. The only other player on the Lakers roster that is 30 or older is Kobe Bryant and I wouldn't expect a decline in his ability for at least 3 years.

The Celtics on the other hand, are an old team. Next year Ray Allen will be 33, Kevin Garnett 32, Paul Pierce 31.

James Posey is 31 and I doubt the Celtics have the money to re-sign him this Summer.

Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown are not returning. I don't see Rajon Rondo improving his horrid outside shooting... The only player I see on the Celtics significantly improving is Glen Davis. in short, the Celtics are likely to be worse next year, the Lakers are likely to be better next year.

The Lakers also have more trade chips.

Do you see how he scowls at his teammates in the open floor? He yells at anybody who doesn't catch one of his bad passes. Don't take it from me, read Phil Jackson's book. Don't you think Jackson would be in the best position to comment about his own player? Kobe is one of the most hated players in the league - hated by his own team. He forced Shaq out of L.A, tried to force Bynum out of L.A, then tried to get himself out of L.A when he couldn't win anything alone. Only Memphis' gift of Pau Gasol quieted Kobe and don't be surprised if that changes too.

Big deal. Michael Jordan as well threatened to retire and be traded when he didn't get his way in Chicago. Remember when the Bulls were thinking about trading Scottie Pippen for Tracy McGrady?

BTW, Kobe didn't force Shaq out of LA. If you have noticed, Shaq has played on 4 teams, burning bridges with the Lakers and Heat. Shaq was traded out of LA because he was old and overweight. The reason why Kobe was blamed is because Kobe is hated by the media, while Shaq is generally loved.

Besides, the Lakers got Caron Butler and Lamar Odom for Shaq. That was a good deal even though the Lakers gave up on Butler too soon.

[Zen653]

Andrew Bynum is 20-years old and was playing like an all-star before he got injured. Even 75% of Bynum is better than Kendrick Perkins and most other centers in this league.

You'll get no argument from me than Bynum is better than Kendrick Perkins. But does Bynum improve the Laker defense? Has a 20 yearold ever been a difference-maker on a championship basketball team? I think you're expecting too much out of him. We don't even know how he'll play once he returns from injury. A kneecap injury is pretty serious in a player who relies on superior athleticism and leaping ability to score, rebound and block shots.

The Spurs are old. They would need to add one more significant player to be a contender. Robert Horry is going to retire, Brent Barry and Bruce Bowen should retire. Michael Finley, Kurt Thomas, damn, these guys are old.

I'd never count out Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs could be in the market for someone like James Posey to replace Bowen. They were a tired team this year. By the time they faced the Lakers, they had nothing left in terms of energy. The 7-game series against the young upstart Hornets took a lot out of them.

The Celtics on the other hand, are an old team. Next year Ray Allen will be 33, Kevin Garnett 32, Paul Pierce 31.

You're right, as I noted previously, I'm not as confident about Boston's chances next year as I was this year. Allen, in particular, seems to be declining. There were certain weeks in the season where he contributed absolutely nothing on offense. He couldn't sink his patented jump shots, and that's dangerous territory for a guy who makes his living off of jump shots. He was a streaky shooter this year who had short bursts of good stretches tainted by long anemic ones.

I haven't noticed any decline from Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett, however. Pierce is actually getting better with age. Garnett, meanwhile, probably needs to reduce his workload to around 35 minutes a game.

Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown are not returning. I don't see Rajon Rondo improving his horrid outside shooting... The only player I see on the Celtics significantly improving is Glen Davis. in short, the Celtics are likely to be worse next year, the Lakers are likely to be better next year.

Cassell and Brown can easily be replaced. As the defending NBA Champions, there will be plenty of veteran role players willing to sign for the league minimum with the Celtics in an effort to win a ring. This always happens. The Spurs benefited from it in recent years, as did the Lakers during the three-peat.

I expect improvement from Rondo (he's only in his second year), Perkins (gets better every year), Powe and Big Baby. Ainge seems to be high on Gabe Pruitt and thinks the former USC standout could be Rondo's primary backup as soon as this upcoming season. Another player to watch out for is Tony Allen. He's very underrated. I'd like to see the Celtics re-sign him. I honestly believe he could be the next Ron Artest, if given at least 25 minutes a game. He's phenomenal defensively and explodes well to the basket. He's been debilitated by knee injuries the last two years.

[dlb]

Wasn't Rondo that NY playground phenom who jumped to the NBA out of high school and looked like a real disappointment early on? From what little I saw of him this year, he's turned into a very level-headed team player.

I'm wondering what you think of an idea I heard on some sports show or site recently, Zen: that Pierce's turnaround, as well as the improved play of the other pre-trade Celts, can be credited to the Garnett Effect. The idea is that Garnett is a warrior whose on-court example tends to bring out the best in his teammates, i.e. a whiner looks bad enough on his own, but next to KG, he starts to look so bad that he can't even stand to be around himself.

[djwhokid]

Q: So are the Lakers really going to pursue Ron Artest as part of that rebound?

A: I believe so.

Let's face it. The Lakers are suddenly answering to a "soft" label and have undeniable defensive and toughness issues on the perimeter that Pierce repeatedly exploited. Factor in Jackson's proven ability to handle personalities like Artest, Artest's friendship with Bryant and the Lakers' known interest in acquiring him before Gasol's arrival and the Sacramento swingman becomes a natural target.

But there are basketball issues involved -- does Artest fit in offensively in Jackson's triangle? -- and bigger obstacles than the X's and O's to making that move. Artest told ESPN.com earlier this week that he's "99 percent sure" he won't be opting out of the final year of his contract by the June 30 deadline. Assuming he doesn't change his mind, Artest would thus be available to the Lakers only via trade, which would then require two old rivals to come together on a deal … with Sacramento likely to insist on holding out for Odom's expiring contract in exchange for Artest and Kenny Thomas.

Artest followed up our Tuesday interview with an e-mail Thursday in which he said: "Even if I was to opt out, which probably won't happen, I will never accept a mid-level exception. So people trying to figure out possibilities should get that out of their heads."

Translation: Artest is strongly against opting out largely because he knows that the Lakers (and any other interested party) likely would offer him a free-agent contract starting at no higher than the mid-level, which was $5.4 million this season. He'd rather play next season at $7.4 million for Sacramento or whomever -- knowing that the Kings are virtually certain to get various trade offers if he elects to play out the final year of his contract -- then see what kind of deal he can command on the 2009 free-agent market.

"Next summer can be a bigger [free-agent] summer for me if the Kings win big," Artest said, "which is … anything else is a failure."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playof...estions-080620



I remember those playoffs series between Indiana and Boston. Artest was on Pierce like glue.

[Zen653]

Wasn't Rondo that NY playground phenom who jumped to the NBA out of high school and looked like a real disappointment early on? From what little I saw of him this year, he's turned into a very level-headed team player.

No, that was Sebastian Telfair, the cousin of another disappointing New Yorker by the name of Stephon Marbury (or "Starbury" as he's derisively called by his detractors.) The Portland Trailblazers drafted Telfair straight out of high school with the 13th pick in the 2004 draft. The Jailblazers eventually traded him to the Celtics as salary cap fodder in the Theo Ratliff/Raef LaFrentz deal.

Telfair was supposed to be the next great superstar, and a movie was made about him while he was still in high school. I think the hype got to his head because he never realized his potential. At the pro level, he turned the ball over a lot, couldn't consistently make his shot, and hardly ever played defense. He also frequently got into legal trouble. He was involved in a gang shootout with a second-rate rapper. He also got arrested a couple times for possessing a firearm without a license. The Celtics included him in the trade for Kevin Garnett. He apparently played competently in Minnesota this year but he's still not expected to do much in the NBA. He's going to be a career third-stringer who maybe tries the European market where he could start and earn more money.

The player you saw in this year's playoffs was Rajon Rondo, drafted out of the University of Kentucky. He spent two years there under Tubby Smith and played a far more cerebral brand of basketball. The Celtics drafted him (via Phoenix) with the 21st selection in the 2006 draft. He's a top rate defender and an excellent passer who penetrates the lane about as well as anyone. The only real negative to his game (and it's a big one) is his shooting. He has the shooting range of a backup center. If he can develop a jump shot, he'll be an All-Star. If not, he'll still be a better than average PG.

I'm wondering what you think of an idea I heard on some sports show or site recently, Zen: that Pierce's turnaround, as well as the improved play of the other pre-trade Celts, can be credited to the Garnett Effect. The idea is that Garnett is a warrior whose on-court example tends to bring out the best in his teammates, i.e. a whiner looks bad enough on his own, but next to KG, he starts to look so bad that he can't even stand to be around himself.

I think there's a lot of truth to what you heard. According to Doc Rivers, Garnett's arrival completely changed the culture of the Celtics. His contagiously strong work ethic and obsession with defense transformed the entire team from a mediocre defensive club to a defensive powerhouse.

The biggest transformation was Paul Pierce, who went from a below average defender to one of the five best in the league. Ray Allen, who never played much defense in Milwaukee or Seattle, evolved into an above average defender. Rondo and Perkins developed strong defensive games as well. I think we really do have to credit Garnett for demanding so much of his teammates and for having such an infectious enthusiasm for practice.

There was a story on the local Celtics network that after Garnett submitted a subpar performance in Game 5 of the Finals, he promised not to disappoint Celtics fans with another bad outing in Game 6. So when the Celtics arrived back in Boston at 2am, he drove to the Garden, and immediately went back to work, practicing his jump shots and free throws. The coaching staff thought he was a bit crazy for doing this, but that's the kind of commitment that Garnett has to perfecting his craft. When other players see this, they follow his example (with moderation - most players can't handle Garnett's intensity.)

In Pierce's case, I think he worked more diligently in part because he recognized he had a great opportunity at a championship this year, and in part because as team captain, he couldn't allow the newcomer to show him up effort-wise. Factoring in service time, Pierce is the only "true Celtic" on the team and being the competitive guy that he is, I don't think he wanted to cede the limelight to Garnett. That meant working extra hard and finally becoming the selfless, all-round player he proved himself to be.