Celtics move from rebuilding mode to brink of title contention

Just a little more than three weeks ago, it seemed that the Celtics were on the brink of breaking up their core of players and flipping the switch over to rebuilding mode. Guard Ray Allen was a trade-talk

topic, point guard Rajon Rondo had been featured in previous trade discussions and even Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were making the rumor-mill rounds.
They had been playing well at the time, though, winning eight of their previous 10 games, and ultimately, general manager Danny Ainge stood pat with his bunch. And since then, after some damaging injuries and a

rotation shakeup, the Celtics have begun to gain steam again. Despite frustrating losses to the Spurs and Bulls last week, the Celtics have won nine of their last 12, including blowouts over potential playoff

teams Miami, Indiana and Philadelphia.

Boston has played so well lately that Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said something on Sunday that might have sounded ludicrous last month—you should not count the Celtics out of the Eastern Conference’s

contender mix, especially with the Bulls struggling and with the Celtics potentially lining up for a second-round matchup against the Heat, the team that will look for revenge on the Celtics on Tuesday in

Miami.

“It’s going to be very interesting,” said Collins, who was one of the most respected broadcast analysts in the league before returning to coaching. “I think everybody is sort of looking at Miami and Chicago

as the two teams. I would not blink on Boston, I will tell you that. Because they can defend you and they’ve got matchups. When they play Miami, one of the keys when you play Miami is, you have got to defend

Bosh. And they’ve got Garnett to do that. That’s a huge key for them... That matchup is critical if those teams play each other.”

Last year, remember, the Celtics were escorted out of the playoffs by the Heat in the conference semifinals, in just five games. This would be the same Celtics core going against the same Miami core, so

initially, it looks like there would be no reason to expect a different result. But this really isn’t the same Celtics team as last year. Heck, it’s not the same team it was early in the year, when Boston had Jermaine O’Neal at center, with Mickael Pietrus and Brandon Bass anchoring the bench.

Now, O’Neal is out for the year and Pietrus is out with a concussion. Backup Chris Wilcox, too, is out, with a heart ailment. That has forced coach Doc Rivers to play Kevin Garnett at center, something Garnett does not like to do—but injuries have left the team with no choice. Rivers also had no choice but to move Avery Bradley into the starting five when Ray Allen injured his ankle, and that has turned out to be a blessing. Bradley, one of the league’s best on-ball defenders, played so well that he gave Rivers enough cover to move

Allen (who had started in 1,099 of 1,102 games he played in his career) to the bench.

It’s all working. Garnett has flourished since the All-Star break, averaging 17.0 points and 8.5 rebounds, and becoming a dominating defensive presence in the middle. Bradley has been better than advertised defensively, and has been opportunistic offensively, averaging 10.1 points as a starter. Rondo and Pierce have hit their usual strides after early struggles, and Bass has been consistent throughout.

The key, though, could be the bench. Allen has averaged 14.3 points in three games as a reserve, making up for the points that guys like Pietrus and Jeff Green were expected to give the team. Rookie center Greg Steimsma has been a solid defender now that he has established a consistent role. If Pietrus can recover from the concussion—and he passed his first test toward a return last weekend—the Celtics have the making of a formidable bench.

Credit Allen on that—he is not thrilled about coming off the bench, but he understands that this season has been a nonstop scramble for the Celtics and is accepting of the role. “I don’t think it will happen for me to ever get comfortable with these 11-or-so games we’ve got left. None of us are settling into our roles. You adapt the best way you can. There hasn’t been enough time to understand the consistencies about what our rotations are going to be. You just try to do what you need to do for the team.”

There are plenty of familiar jerseys on the floor for the Celtics, plenty of familiar names. But this is not the same team—and as they continue to improve in their juggled roles, it’s fair to wonder whether they can recapture some of the momentum that brought them within a few minutes of a championship just two years ago.

Collins seems to think that is possible. “I admire them,” he said. "I admire the way they play, they’re a team in every aspect. The way they play, Doc has done a wonderful job with them.”