October 3,
2005
Boston
Celtics 2005-2006 Season Preview
“Ah, the wonders of youth.” That ought to be the mantra of
the Boston Celtics for the coming season. If they decide to go
in a different direction and endorse sayings such as “The future
is now,” they and their fans may be sorely disappointed.
The newest version of the Celtics are very high on
potential and quite low on actual NBA experience. Coming into
training camp, the Green has eight players with four years of
combined experience and 10 players aged 23 or younger. The
inexperience on this squad has gotten so out of hand that Ricky
Davis, he of the ripe age of 26, has been talked about as a
possible veteran leader of this bunch. Sweet mother of mercy!
It’s not as if the Celtics weren’t a young team last
season, but this summer they drafted three players and signed
another rookie while letting future Hall of Fame point guard
Gary Payton walk and facilitating a sign-and-trade that sent
Antoine Walker to Miami. That means that Delonte West and Al
Jefferson should have the inside track for the jobs of starting
point guard and power forward, respectively. It’s not that West
and Jefferson are necessarily downgrades from Payton and Walker
(some might even argue to the contrary), but when it comes to an
understanding of the NBA game, the second year players clearly
have much to learn.
However wet behind the ears the Celtics may be coming into
the season, it shouldn’t be confused with gloom and doom. Young
as they are, the Celtics are a very, very talented gang.
Jefferson has been lauded everywhere for his strong rookie
season, West is already known in NBA circles as an intelligent
player and fellow sophomore Tony Allen showed that he belonged
when he was inserted into the starting lineup midway through
last season. In addition, the Celtics have what many are calling
the steal of the draft in high schooler Gerald Green, a talent
many thought would be gone by the fourth pick but somehow was
still around when the Celtics made their selection at 18. They
were able to nab Ryan Gomes, a product of Providence, late in
the second round, something that was also considered a bit of a
coup for Executive Director of Player Personnel Danny Ainge.
Of course all of these players will surround cornerstone
Paul Pierce as he returns to Boston for his seventh season after
an offseason filled with whispers and trade rumors. For all of
Pierces’ warts and last season’s Game 6 meltdown against Indiana
in the first round of the playoffs (a game which people forget,
the Celtics won), #34 is still one of the most talented player
in the league and last year was one of his best seasons to date.
If the Celtics will make the postseason for a fifth consecutive
year, it will be because Pierce is happy and willing to play
team basketball with this group.
Will the Celtics compete for a playoff spot in the improved
East or wind up spending the season just trying to learn the
ropes in the NBA? No one knows that, but one thing is certain:
Head Coach Doc Rivers will compensate for his team’s lack of
maturity with plenty of new gray hair for himself.
At the Helm:
Rivers will begin his second year as the lead man on the
Celtics’ bench and he’ll have his hands full. With the moody
Pierce, the zany Davis, the tender Raef LaFrentz, the
inconsistent Marcus Banks and the just plain disappointing Mark
Blount, Rivers already has more than enough responsibility to
fill an entire season. And that’s without even mentioning the
youngsters who have no idea how to play in the pros.
Rivers shouldn’t have to worry about job security—he gets
along well with Ainge and management has no preconceived notions
about this club being a contender. Still, while the team was
generally pleased with how the coach brought along last year’s
crop of rookies, there were whispers about his game management.
Also, it’s getting close to put up or shut up time for Rivers
when his team makes it to the postseason. In four trips (three
with Orlando, one with Boston), he has never advanced into the
second round.
Player in the
Spotlight:
Is there any doubt that, more than ever, the microscope is
bearing down on Pierce? Even though Pierce quietly had what was
arguably his second best season, frequent dust ups with Rivers
and his ejection against the Pacers on a national stage badly
damaged his reputation. If Pierce is to rebuild his battered
image, he must have another sterling season while being careful
to respect his coaches and teammates. If he does that, he could
carry the Celtics to the playoffs. If not, you’ll hear his name
a lot before the February 23rd trade deadline.
Breakout Player:
Jefferson looms as the best candidate, though some would
argue he shouldn’t qualify because he already broke out last
season. Even so, given his status as a projected starter and a
more muscular physique, he should earn more than the 14.8
minutes a game he averaged last year and have a real chance to
pad his stats. That is, if he is able to overcome the foul
trouble that plagued him much of last year.
Another player to watch is West, who could start after
playing in only 39 games in an injury riddled rookie campaign
last year. With extended minutes and without a future
Springfield resident ahead of him in the rotation, West may just
be the Celtic's answer at point guard. The Celtics were 6-1 with
West in the starting lineup last year so there may just be
something to that.
A dark horse for breakout player is second year swingman
Justin Reed who could emerge as the team’s starter at shooting
guard now that Allen will miss the start of the season due to
arthroscopic surgery in his right knee. Reed may already be the
team’s best perimeter defender and showed a marked improvement
from last year in summer league action. Stay tuned…
Key Additions:
As soon as the free agency wooing period began, Ainge made
a point of getting in touch with the Nets’ free agent forward,
Brian Scalabrine and signed him to a five year, $15 deal shortly
thereafter. Scalabrine is not expected to oust Jefferson from
the starting lineup or impress the crowd with athletic
ability—that’s just not going to happen. Ainge brought the
redhead in the fold because of his ability to be a steadying
presence in the locker room, something not to be taken lightly
with the average age of this team, and to be a valuable backup.
Scalabrine knows his role and will leave it all on the court
every time he takes the floor.
Free agent point guard Dan Dickau may have a much deeper
impact on the team than Scalabrine if he is able to replicate
some of his numbers from last year with the Hornets. After a
nomadic first three years in the league, Dickau finally exploded
onto the scene for a New Orleans team bereft of a star, and,
frankly, much talent. After being acquired by the Hornets from
the Mavericks very early in the season, Dickau averaged 13.2
points and 5.1 assists and had some very impressive individual
game stats, including a 19-point, 16-assist gem against Philly
in January. It remains to be seen whether Dickau is the real
thing or just a small market player with good numbers on a bad
team.
While he is a rookie, Gomes may be the biggest boost for
the Celtics this year. His play in the Reebok Vegas Summer
League so impressed the Celtics’ brass that they signed him to a
three-year contract, something unusual for a second rounder. His
toughness, nose for the ball and his overall instincts to go
with his potential for leadership may mean he finds a place in
River’s rotation sooner rather than later. He’ll even be in the
mix for a starting job at some point.
Player on the
Hotseat
Besides Pierce, Banks and, to a lesser degree, third year
player Kendrick Perkins must show the Celtics that they belong.
Banks frustrated Rivers continuously during the coach’s
inaugural season in Boston and if he doesn’t prove that he is
coachable soon, there is an outside chance that he could be cut
at the end of training camp. Perkins is just two years removed
from high school but his development has been much slower than
expected. If he is to earn significant playing time he’ll have
to outplay his competition early, something he has yet to do
since being drafted in the first round two years ago.
Rookies to Watch:
Gomes is the one who will probably get the most playing
time but it’s Green who’ll command the attention of Celtic fans
everywhere. The highflying athlete impressed everyone over the
summer with some truly ridiculous moves around the basket. He
may be the future of this basketball team but for right now,
he’s a benchwarmer and may be fodder for year one of the NBA
Development League. Raw as he is, the kid has mad skills with a
nice shooting touch and an excellent ability to get to the
basket. If Green somehow finds his way onto the court for heavy
minutes this year it will mean that things are going really well
for the Celtics. Or really poorly.
Outlook:
As they have been for the last few years, the Celtics are a
bit of a wild card heading into the season. If Pierce behaves,
if Davis follows up an impressive and selfless season with
another, if West and Dickau (and Banks?) can successfully man
the point, if Jefferson can make the leap, if some rookies can
contribute, if Blount is motivated, if Rivers can avoid having a
brain aneurysm…well then the Celtics will find themselves in the
playoff hunt. If not, the losing could mount early on, Pierce
could get tired of waiting for this team to compete for a title
and ask for a trade; things could get worse before they get
better.
In years past, the Eastern Conference was so bad that teams
could sneak into the playoffs with a poor record, like the C’s
36-win team from two years ago. Now the East is much improved
and only a few teams such as the Hawks, Raptors and the Bobcats
are unlikely to be in the mix. With the Celtics downgrade in
experience and the conference’s upgrade in talent, expect the
Green and White to compete, but ultimately fall short of a
playoff spot.
Projected
Record: 38-44
June 30, 2005
For Now, The Sunniest Of
Outlooks For The Celtics
There were many smiles on display when two of the three
Celtic draft picks, Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes were introduced
to the
Boston media
on Wednesday. Everyone already knew that Celtics’ Executive
Director of Basketball Operations was excited with his
selections on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday he seemed
downright giddy, joking about the hat worn by Mickael Gelabale,
one of Seattle’s second-rounders.
When Green talked about watching former Celtic greats like
Larry Bird and Bill Russell, on ESPN Classic, Doc Rivers
quipped, “You should probably say Danny Ainge.”
Green, more than willing to get in on the fun, replied to
his new coach, “You can’t leave me alone.” Green then
jokingly apologized to Ainge, saying “Don’t be mad at me
Danny!” We don’t think that Green has to worry about
insulting his boss too much; trading Young Gerald is probably
the furthest thing from Ainge’s mind.
After what appears to have been an exceedingly fortunate
and successful NBA draft on Tuesday night, all is well for
Celtic Nation. The luck of the Irish fell on the 16-time world
champs not once, but twice in the course of the three-hour
draft, netting them Green, a potential superstar, and Gomes, a
local product who could be a role player extraordinaire. That
both Green, who was expected to be chosen no later than number
8, and Gomes, a late first-round, early second-round projection
were both still available when the Celtics picked at numbers 18
and 50 could be construed as a modern day hoops miracle, on par
with Derek Fisher’s .4 second shot.
Until Green was bypassed by the Portland Trailblazers at
the Number 6 spot, the Boston Brass didn’t have any inkling that
he would slip right into their waiting hands.
“Honestly I
didn’t watch a piece of film on Gerald until yesterday
afternoon,”
the coach said. “I hadn’t talked to him, I hadn’t done any
research. [The film on Green] was just sitting there and I said
‘oh, let me check this guy out, we won’t get him but let me just
see.’”
“And when he
started sinking to us we started thinking ‘maybe it happens.’”
While the entire Celtic organization and fans are
deservedly ecstatic, it wouldn’t be too surprising if both Green
and Gomes were a bit peeved. After all, each of them was
expected to feel much less tension than they did. Many players,
instead of feeling the joy of being drafted, express much more
anger that they were slighted. Paul Pierce practiced in the
summer before his first season by yelling out the names of the
players drafted ahead of him and Steve Francis scowled all the
way to the podium and back when the Bulls drafted Elton Brand
with the first pick instead of the Franchise.
But that does not seem to be the case with the two Celtics
assembled at Healthpoint.
Although Green slipped, he didn’t seem particularly
disturbed by it. “I’m happy to be here. You know, a lot of
people don’t even get drafted. I’m happy to be in the first
round,” Green said, though he acknowledged that sliding so
far was a little tough to take. “It was kind of nerve
wracking but you’ve got to turn a negative into a positive.
Everything happens for a reason and so I’m glad the
Boston
Celtics gave me a chance and I’m going to do everything I can to
prove they didn’t make a bad choice.”
Don’t think that Green will completely put draft night
behind him, though. “I’m going to use it as motivation just
so I can be a better player,” the 19-year old said.
Although Gomes only got a few hours of sleep last night, he
doesn’t seem like he’ll lose any more by dwelling on the draft,
either.
“I’m just
glad to be in the top 50. I’ll say I’m one of the top 50 that’s
coming out this year,”
the forward from Providence said. “It’s not where you start,
it’s where you finish…at the end you might have a better career
than most of the guys that got selected before you.”
Rivers agreed that it wasn’t important where Gomes was
drafted. “I think Ryan Gomes should have been a first round
pick. I think he was a first round pick, he just didn’t get
drafted in the first round.
“If you go in
the first round it means you get guaranteed money. It doesn’t
mean you’re going to be a guaranteed player. Your play will
determine that. I told him that he shouldn’t worry about that.
Except he’s just not going to make as much money right away.”
In six months, we might be talking about Green’s inability
to get off the bench and contribute to the team. Maybe Gomes
will not be the ready-made product that he’s been advertised as
being. And it’s always possible that Pierce, assuming he’s still
here in November, will not take so well to suddenly being so far
away from the center of attention. Heck, Green even said about
the Celtics’ captain, “When he ends up retiring, I can take
his place.” I’m sure Paul will take that in the best way
possible.
But in the here and now, everything looks majestic and
everyone involved is pretty happy with the way things turned
out.
Green summed things up pretty well when
he described why Portland General Manager John Nash decided to
go with Martell Webster with the sixth pick in the draft instead
of him.
“I don’t
so much think that he didn’t like me. I think that he kind of
liked Martell Webster better than [me]. I respect him and I
think that was a great pick for him. And I’m glad he didn’t pick
me because, if he did, I wouldn’t be in Boston right now.”
And things wouldn’t be looking nearly as
rosy for the future of the Boston Celtics.
