Rondo To The Mavericks

This could be the deal according to reports. (Plus a 1st rounder going back to Boston.)

UPDATE:

Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell to the Mavericks for Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson, Jae Crowder, 2015 1st round pick and a future 2nd round pick.

What Would The Celtics NBA Jam Team Be This Year?

Who do you take?  Let's say you get 3 dudes.  Rajon Rondo is an automatic.  After that?  You can make a case for a handful of guys: Avery Bradley, Jeff Green, Gerald Wallace (I guess), Kris Humphries (right?), Kelly Olynyk (1st rounder...), Jared Sullinger?  Here's the breakdown.

Well we can eliminate: Courtney Lee, Brandon Bass, MarShon Brooks, Keith Bogan, Phil Pressey, Jordan Crawford  (although he might be solid...)

Bradley- great defense, "steals" rating would be a solid 8 or 9.  He can hit that corner 3.  You'd be real small with him and Rondo.

Green- should be the best scorer, best athlete, makes sense.  I still don't like him.

Wallace- Would have been in the game for a few years during his career, not anymore.

Humphries- Rebounding an 8 or 9, would make for a solid duo with Rondo.

Olynyk- if the game gives him an above average 3pt shot, then he could be dangerous.  Plus you're going to need some rookies in the game.

Sullinger- As Chris Webber would say, Sullinger has that "old man game."  Do we want that here?  He had a solid rookie year before getting hurt.  He can rebound and his "2pt shot" would be strong.


Final Verdict:  Rajon Rondo, Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger

Whacky Celtics Trades That Fit Under The Cap

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3pm est.  The Celtics have had nearly all of their players rumored in potential deals.  KG, Rondo, Pierce, Bass, Green, Lee, Terry, even Fab freakin Melo.  Here are some gems that could work...

Celtics receive ERIC BLEDSOE & DEANDRE JORDAN
Clippers receive KEVIN GARNETT

Celtics receive HARRISON BARNES, RICHARD JEFFERSON, BRANDON RUSH
Warriors receive PAUL PIERCE

Celtics receive DEMARCUS COUSINS, TYREKE EVANS
Kings receive RAJON RONDO


C's would be in massive rebuild mode.  But a future core of solid young players that could develop or be dealt in bigger trades in the offseason and or at the draft.

LINEUP:
Eric Bledsoe
Avery Bradley
Harrison Barnes
Demarcus Cousins
DeAndre Jordan

BENCH:
Jeff Green
Jared Sullinger
Brandon Bass
Jason Terry
Courtney Lee
Richard Jefferson
Brandon Rush
Fab Melo

*I would also look to trade Jason Terry and Brandon Bass if possible.  If not, a vet like Terry could help Bledsoe/Barnes.

New look!

Podcast: Celtics Trade Talk

I talked Celtics and NBA Trade rumors with Brian Robb on Monday night.  And here it is.

Click Here to go to CelticsHub.com

The Injury Bonanza of 2012 and How The Celtics Stack Up

NBA players are dropping like flies in the playoffs.  Perhaps a victim of the 66-game lockout shorten season or in some cases because of self mutilation (see: Amar'e Stoudemire punching glass), big names and small names alike are missing the most important games of the year. 

2011 MVP Derrick Rose suffered a torn ACL, Knicks rookie guard Iman Shumpert the same.  Baron Davis just went down with a nasty knee injury himself.  Dwight Howard will not play in the playoffs, Al Horford just returned after sitting out nearly the entire season, his backup Zaza Pachulia is still out.  The flash in the pan known as Jeremy Lin has been sidelined for the first 4 games of the Knicks-Heat series.  Memphis stud Zach Randolph worked his way back into the lineup the final couple weeks of the regular season.  The T-Wolves' chances of making the post season went out the window when rookie PG Ricky Rubio blew his ACL, the Clippers lost their leader Chauncey Billups, and many more.  And then you have the "old" Celtics.

The C's are up 3-1 in their 1st round series with the Hawks.  Boston managed to win the Atlantic Division title despite numerous injuries throughout the season, which began with the news that Jeff Green would miss the year and need heart surgery.  Chris Wilcox was forced to the sidelines in an eerily similar fashion.  And Jermaine O'Neal... whatever.  The veteran group fought through the multiple back-to-backs and the ridiculously thrown together season (little to no practice time and crazy travel schedule) to win the division (for the 5th straight year) and enter the playoffs as the #4 seed.  They still did not have home court advantage.

Where do the Green stand health wise?

Ray Allen missed the last 9 games of the year with an ankle injury and Games 1 and 2 against the Hawks.  Allen surprised himself coming back for Game 3, saying that he had told KG he would probably miss the entire series.  It's hopeful that he will be on the court the rest of the way, but it's no sure thing.  Allen will undergo surgery when the C's are done.

Paul Pierce, who was extremely durable this season, hurt his knee in shootaround prior to Game 4, and Doc left the morning get-together thinking the Captain would miss the game.  He played, 24 points in 17 minutes, and said on his twitter that he was glad he only played limited minutes to he could rest his knee.

Mickael Pietrus played in 42 of the 66 games this year.  He missed time with a concussion and left Game 4 in the 3rd quarter with a hamstring injury.

Avery Bradley re-injured his left shoulder in Game 3.  He was a game-time decision in Game 4 (he played), but will be a concern through the rest of the playoffs.  He apparently popped out his shoulder 2-3 times during the season, but Doc Rivers said it was like a "LEGO" and would just pop back in, but in Game 3 it did not do that.  Gross.

Greg Stiemsma (feet) sat out of nearly every single practice the Celtics had this season.  He should be able to go the rest of the playoffs for as much time as the team needs him, but it should be pointed out that he's been playing banged up all year.

Is it possible that Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett are the healthiest players on the team?   

The lasting image of the 2011 playoffs for the Celtics was Rajon Rondo playing against the Heat with one arm.  After Dwyane Wade tackled him to the floor, Rondo got up and tried like hell to play through the pain.  The 2009 playoffs were essentially a lost cause because of the knee injury that kept Kevin Garnett from suiting up with the team.  Now in 2012, Rondo and KG are the healthiest, and without question the two pieces most important to knocking of the Heat in a potential Eastern Conference Finals match-up.

Few would have predicted the type of season KG had.  At 35 years old and with well over 1,200 career games played, Garnett averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists per game (playing in 60/66, sitting out a couple for personal reasons and for rest).  I believe he will be All-Defensive 2nd Team and All-NBA 3rd Team, at center, where he really flourished in the 2nd half of the season.

Health has already derailed the top seeded Bulls and the Orlando Magic.  If the Celtics are going to make a deep run they are going to continue to walk the injury tight rope.  KG and Rondo will have to defy the odds and Pierce (knee), Allen (ankle), Bradley (shoulder), Pietrus (hamstring, head), and Stiemsma (feet) will have to be "healthy enough." 

Believe it or not I said Heat-Celtics in the East Finals in my pre-season predictions.  There is no reason to change that now. 

-Keefe

3 Celtics Trades That (Probably) Won't Happen

The NBA Trade Deadline is just a week from tomorrow. It also marks the 1 year anniversary (on the NBA calender) of the miserable Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder deal. I'm still not over it. In my defense, I HATED it at the time and even spent 5 hours on 98.5 The Sports Hub that night explaining how bad the move was and that Danny was hinging his playoff hopes (the team was atop the East at the time) on two injured, old centers named O'Neal. At least Jeff Green fit in well.

But anyway, the Celtics (20-17) have just 29 games left to play in this shorten 66 game regular season. And after a slow start and multiple losing streaks, they find themselves playing for 1st place in the Atlantic Division against the Philadelphia 76ers tonight and an automatic Top 4 Seed (avoid Miami and Chicago in Round 1!) in the Eastern Conference. The C's are currently on a 5 game winning streak (Cavs, Bucks, Nets, Knicks, Rockets). But with their future very much in question, what should they do?

Many of the trade rumors that have circulated around the league involve the Big 4, rightly so. Kevin Garnett ($21.2 million) and Ray Allen ($10 million) are unrestricted free agents after this season. While Paul Pierce (2 years remaining, avg. $16 million per year) and Rajon Rondo (3 years remaining, avg. $12 per year) are not only under contract going forward, but are both playing at a very high level. In fact, to be fair, KG and Allen are also playing at a much higher than anticipated level this season, particularly in Garnett's case, as of late (18.8 points, 10.2 rebounds during 5 game-winning streak.)

Because of this sudden winning streak and the newly found rotation Doc Rivers has stuck to (aided by the Jermaine O'Neal injury), the idea of keeping this group together and making one final run has begun to emerge, amongst some. Can they beat the Bulls in a 7 game series? What about the Heat? The thought that they could miss the playoffs with this group is ridiculous. Not only based on their own abilities, but more so the rest of the Conference. They WILL make the playoffs, but how far can they go?

If the Celtics want to make moves AND not go into full fledged re-building mode they have to keep Rajon Rondo. I repeat, KEEP RAJON RONDO. He's a bargain for an All-Star and is a Top 5 Point Guard in the NBA. Do you need more around him? Of course. Can he win a title as the best player? No. But how many guys can?

I keep Pierce as well, unless a 3-team deal comes along involving one contender (who else would want Pierce) or the right team steps up and the C's get young players/picks. Now is the time to deal Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, but you can't give them away.

Hired guns. Assassins. Mercenaries. Ok, rentals. That's what Ray and KG would be for teams with their eyes on the Larry O'Brien Trophy. So after that long winded open, here are 3 Celtics trades that (probably) won't happen:

1. Ray Allen to the Clippers for Eric Bledsoe, future #1 draft pick.

There would have to be other filler in their to make the deal go through, but the Clippers desperately need a 2 guard. Billups is out for the year, Mo Williams is a PG, and Randy Foye just isn't good. Youngster Eric Bledsoe has played in just 11 games this year and doesn't see the court much. He is a good piece though for either the C's to build around and or deal themselves.

2. Paul Pierce & Ray Allen to the Grizzlies for Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Josh Selby, and two future #1 picks.

For some reason the Rudy Gay-Zach Randolph combo has not netted a lot of success. Memphis is good with 1 and not the other. They could make a serious run at it this year with a core of Gasol-Randolph-Pierce-Allen-Conley with T.A, Speights, and Cunningham. Meanwhile the C's get younger and enter the Rondo-Gay era. With Pierce and Allen gone, they would have to do this as well.

3. Kevin Garnett & BOS 1st round pick to the Hawks/ Josh Smith, Kirk Hinrich, & Avery Bradley to the Warriors/ Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, GS & ATL 2nd round picks to the Celtics.

Lot going on there. IF the C's pull off trades 2 and 3 they are looking at squad of Rondo-Ellis-Gay-Bass-Biedrins with Mayo, Selby, and for the rest of this year Wilcox, Pietrus, Stiemsma, Johnson.

Yeah I know. It's not great. It would be exciting to watch Rondo play in an uptempo style with Ellis and Gay on the wing.

These deals (probably) won't happen, but with all the crazy rumors flying around now and for the next week, I got to throw a couple more out there. All I know is that whatever Danny does, it won't surprise me as much as Perkins & Nate for Green & Krstic. Can't wait to see what happens.

-Keefe

5 Questions With Mike Bibby

I talked with New York back up point guard Mike Bibby prior to Sunday afternoon’s Celtics-Knicks game at the TD Garden? Why Mike Bibby you ask? Well Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire were getting pre-game treatment and not talking. Tyson Chandler declined an invitation to go on “5 Questions,” as he was also getting some treatment. I talked to Landry Fields last time the Knicks were in town and Jeremy Lin was shooting around, getting treatment, going to pre-game chapel. Plus, I’ve always been a fan of Mike Bibby, so here we go.

1. What do you think of Rajon Rondo as a player? Obviously you guys had some good match ups while you were playing with the Atlanta Hawks in the playoffs.

Bibby: Good player. You know one of the top Point Guards in the league. Had about a week that I worked with him when he was at Kentucky. He knows my cousin so, we brought out when he was in school. Great player.

2. Speaking of College, you had a great run back in ’97, were there any players that you either played with or against that didn’t develop into solid NBA players that you thought would?

Bibby: Umm. Not that I can think of right now. I mean there is still a lot of people, well a few people that was in college at the same time as me and came in the same draft. So there is still a few of us left and we’re just hanging in there.

3. What was your thoughts on Sacramento keeping the Kings in town?

Bibby: It’s good. I’m happy for the city and the Maloofs. I think it’s good for the city to just keep it going. It’s a great basketball town and it would be sad to see them leave.

4. Less than 2 weeks to the Trade Deadline, you’ve been a part of a lot of these. Does it change the feeling in the locker room? Is there more tension?

Bibby: It depends. You just want to… some guys want to get traded, some guys don’t want to get traded. It’s a buisness. What ever happens happens. But when you’re still on that team, you got to play for that team.

5. With Baron [Davis] back and Jeremy [Lin] you aren’t getting a lot of minutes. What do you do to stay ready?

Bibby: I get my work outs in still. Get the treatment that needs to be done and just keep going.

-Keefe

5 Questions With O.J. Mayo

I talked with Memphis guard O.J. Mayo prior to the Celtics-Grizzlies, Super Bowl Sunday game at the Garden. Here is what the 4th year man out of USC, who is averaging 12.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2 assists per game had to say.

1. You started every game your first two years in the league, last year and this year you’ve been coming off the bench. Are you more comfortable with one role, which do you see yourself doing in the future?

Mayo: Whatever the team needs. Just a ball player, gonna give 110% whether I start or come off the bench.

2. You were a point guard in high school and college, do you think you could be a point guard for a full season in the NBA?

Mayo: Yeah, yeah, one day. It’s all about being a complete guard. People put so much emphasis on if you are a 1 or a 2. Thing is if you are a complete guard you can help a lot of teams, and right now being a complete guard is helping the Memphis Grizzlies.

3. You are a restricted free agent after this year, could you see yourself playing in a place like Boston?

Mayo: Yeah sure. If there is an NBA team I’d be happy to play there. But right now my main goal is to play for Memphis and hopefully help get them their first NBA Championship.

4. Is there any stigma about Boston? In the past not all athletes have wanted to play in Boston, it took KG some convincing. Does that still exist?

Mayo: I’ve never heard of that. It’s always been one of the top organizations in basketball. Ever since you were a little boy start playing basketball you always heard about the Boston Celtics and Larry Bird, all the great players, it’s always been a great organization.

5. You guys play well when Rudy Gay is healthy and Zach Randolph is out and vice versa, but when both are playing you are only a couple games over .500. Any idea as to why that is?
Mayo: I think our team focus level rises when one of the other is out, because we know how big they mean to the team and when they are out we feel like we may get doubted as to how great we can be, and we try to prove the naysayers wrong. But when they both get healthy I think we will be even a tougher team to deal with.

BONUS QUESTIONS:

What are the challenges for someone like you who will likely have to guard Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo in the same game, guys who play completely different?

Mayo: You know you just got to know your scouting report, and trust your scouting report. Obviously Rondo is a great point guard, great in transition and even better in the half court as far as making other players around him better. And Ray Allen is a great shooter, never stops moving, and comes well off screens. You just got to know the scouting report and make them play the other end honest as well.

Who you got in the Super Bowl today?

Mayo: I got the Giants.

You going to be able to watch it?

Mayo: Yeah we will be back in town.

-Keefe

Rajon Rondo vs. Chris Paul

The NBA is back. What better way to spark the conversation and get attention than a trade rumor involving two of the league's Top 5 point guards? It appears as though Danny Ainge and the Celtics are extremely interested in Hornets All-Star Chris Paul and are willing to trade away their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo to make the deal happen. Will it happen? Should it happen? Let's check the tale of the tape first. Rondo vs. CP3.

Rajon Rondo
Age: 25
Current Contract: 4 years remaining at a total of $46 million
NBA Seasons: 5
Games: 384
Career Averages: 10.7 points, 7.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 48.6% FG

2010-11: 10.6 points, 11.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 47.5% FG

Playoffs: (78 games) 13.8 points, 8.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 43.7 % FG

Achievements: 2-time All-Star, NBA Champion, 1st Team All-Defense (2), 2nd Team All-Defense, All-Rookie 2nd Team

Chris Paul
Age: 26
Current Contract: 1 year left for $16.36 million (player option for '12-'13 for $17.78 million)
NBA Seasons: 6
Games: 425
Career Averages: 18.7 points, 9.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 47.1% FG

2010-11: 15.9 points, 9.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 46.3% FG

Playoffs: (23 games) 21.9 points, 11.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 2 steals, 49.3% FG

Achievements: 4-time All-Star, All-NBA 1st Team (1), All-NBA 2nd Team (1), All-NBA 3rd Team (1), All-Defense 1st Team (1), All-Defense 2nd Team (2), Rookie of the Year

CP3 also gets a huge nod in free throw shooting and 3-point shooting. He is 85% at the line, and 36% from deep for his career while Rondo is a sad 62% and 24%.

Both the statistics and the eye test prove that Chris Paul is a better player overall than Rajon Rondo. That is not breaking news. However a trade for the two All-Star point guards is not nearly that simple. Would Paul sign an extension to stay in Boston? Does he think that an aging Paul Pierce and what Avery Bradley, JaJuan Johnson, maybe Jeff Green look like a solid foundation? Is that better than any of his Hornets teams?

The Paul extension really is the beginning and end of the conversation. If the answer is "No." or even "We'll see." I'll have to pass on the deal. And why would he want to sign with the Celtics again? Exactly.

If, for some magical reason, he would rather play in Boston than in New York with his buddies Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, or even stay in New Orleans where he has played his entire career and is the face of the franchise, it's still not a slam dunk. As it stands now, Rondo, Pierce, and Bradley are the only players under contract for next season. So obviously there will be a dozen more guys signing. If Chris Paul opts out of his player option to become a free agent, he is walking away from close to $18 million in guaranteed money for next season. Therefore he is going to cost a pretty penny.

Paul could make more money over a longer period of time staying with the Hornets (this is also where sign and trades come in to play as well.) But let's just say he makes between $18-20 million dollars a year for the next 4 years in this "dream" scenario where he comes to Boston. You still need to surround him with talent, and clearly more than just a David West, Tyson Chandler, or Emeka Okafor. We've already seen how far that can go.

Regardless of what happens, the Celtics are going to go through a major makeover for the 2012-13 season and beyond. I don't know all the players who will be available and (almost as important) interested in coming to Boston, but I do know that Rondo will be anywhere from $5-10 million cheaper than CP3. You can get a pretty good player for that price.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this all plays out. And the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if Ainge and the Celtics are leaking this story just to get some talk going concerning the Celtics. I mean you got the defending Stanley Cup Bruins, who are 11-0-1 this month, the Patriots looking to be the #1 seed in the AFC and the Red Sox just hired Bobby Valentine. How else can you still some headlines than with a "trade your only good young player" rumor.

Either way, I'm just glad we're talking about the NBA again.


-Keefe

Who's the NBA MVP Right Now?

We are not even at the halfway point of the season, but let’s talk MVP anyway. Two of the league’s stars made recent comments about the award so why can’t we? LeBron James basically said as soon as he and Dwyane Wade joined company they could kiss any MVP consideration goodbye. Meanwhile Bulls PG Derrick Rose said it’s his goal to win the award this season and he thinks he can as long as the team continues to win. (Chicago is currently 3^rd in the East).

So, who is your MVP? Here is a look at some of the top candidates thru 30+ games.

Amare Stoudemire, Knicks: 26.4 points, 9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks.

In his first season in the Big Apple, Stoudemire has New York in 6^th place in the Eastern Conference while ranking 2^nd in the NBA in points-per-game. The Knicks are looking like a playoff team early thanks to stellar combination of Stoudemire and Felton. It will be tough for him to win the award if New York finishes around .500, which I expect.

Kevin Durant, Thunder: 27.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3 assists.

The NBA’s leading scorer has his team in 5^th place in the West but only a half game out of 3^rd and 3 games back of 2^nd. He was clearly the MVP of the Gold Medal winning World Championship team, and he has sort of carried that over into the NBA season. I thought he would be a little more dominating; after all he did crack the 30 points per game mark last year.

Derrick Rose, Bulls: 24 points, 8.6 assists, 4.7 rebounds.

The guy thinks he’s the MVP, wants to be the MVP, and could very well win the MVP. He’s 8^th in scoring, 7^th in assists, and his team sits in 3^rd place in a conference that is more top heavy than Dolly Parton. Rose has been a complete player leadings a team that has never been a full strength with the injuries to Boozer (early) and Noah (present/future).

Dwight Howard, Magic: 21.1 points, 13 rebounds, 2.5 blocks.

He’s the best center in the game (Duncan is a PF, naturally so is Amare, and Yao is in 7’6 suits the rest of the way), and because of this he will always get some consideration. His team made a major shake up but he remains the vocal point. The Magic will only go as far as Dwight takes them. If he is really going to win the MVP he might have to catch Love for the rebounding title and Bogut for blocks and win another Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Kobe Bryant, Lakers: 25.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists.

MVP talk must involve Kobe Bryant even though he has taken home the award just once in his Hall of Fame career. Kobe has not been torching teams with the same regularity yet he still ranks 3^rd in the league in scoring, but the Lakers find themselves tied for 3^rd place in the West. As long as Bryant is healthy his name will be mentioned on the MVP ballet at the end of the year.

Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks: 24.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 54.5% FG.

The 2007 MVP is once again putting up impressive numbers and doing it for a team that is piling up wins. The recent injury to Caron Butler will likely hurt the team, however with inspired performance it could help Dirk’s MVP case.

Deron Williams, Jazz: 22.2 points, 9.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds.

In my opinion he is the best point guard in a very deep group in the NBA. The Jazz are tied for 3^rd place while adjusting too many new faces. Boozer, Mathews, Korver, Miles are all gone and Okur has been out, yet Williams and the Jazz are still one of the best teams in the league. It also helps that he ranks 12^th in points and 4^th in assists. He won’t win it this year but an All-NBA 1^st team should be in the cards.

LeBron James, Heat: 24.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists.

The back-to-back reigning winner of the MVP trophy says he won’t win it this year. Is this a random moment of self deprecation? It doesn’t matter what he says, he will be considered. The Heat have a great chance to pass the Celtics (only .5 game back right now) for 1^st place in the East because of Boston’s injuries coupled with Miami’s recent performance. Also I am pretty sure Michael Jordan still won the award a few times with Scottie Pippen on the team. Monster numbers on a winning team = MVP.

Dwyane Wade, Heat: 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists.

Same rules apply for LeBron. Perhaps these guys would split votes if they has similar numbers (like they do now) and were the #1 seed in the playoffs. Even still I think each one has a chance at the award. Wade has caught fire as of late and now leads LeBron by .1 in points; they rank 5^th and 6^th in the league respectively. Another trip to the All-Defensive team for both will also help their consideration.

Rajon Rondo, Celtics: 10.8 points, 13.5 assists, 2.3 steals.

Given he’s missed 11 of the team’s 32 games, which would make winning the award a huge uphill climb, you have to wonder. What if Rondo put up these kinds of numbers for a full season and the C’s had the best record? Steve Nash won 2 (should have been 3) MVP awards and never averaged 13.5 assists in a season. Yes, Nash did score more points and we really shouldn’t even compare their shooting skills. But I wonder, in a year where LeBron and Wade are playing together, and Kobe isn’t dominating (as much), would Rondo have received many votes? Maybe he still can. The last time a player missed 11 games (so we would be assuming Rondo played in every game the rest of the way) and won the MVP award was Allen Iverson back in the 2000-01 season. AI played in 71 games but dropped a ridiculous 31.1 ppg.

It is really difficult to pick just one player as the MVP at this point in the year. If I had to choose I think I might take Kevin Durant, (he was my preseason pick). The Thunder will need to be a Top 4 seed in the West; Durant must defend his scoring title, and improve his rebounding to win it. LeBron and Wade will make a run for this thing too whether they think so or not. Who would you vote for?

-Keefe

Celtics Hub Podcast

It's back! Another installment of the Celtics Hub podcast. Rich Keefe and Brian Robb break it down. Give it a listen and for more C's news go to CelticsHub.com.

CelticsHub.com Podcast: Magic Preview by BRobb7

Look Out Bosh! Here Comes Rondo!

Heat F Chris Bosh shows his toughness in this beauty from last night's Celtics-Heat game. Not only does Bosh not score or rebound as much as he used to, but he is just flat out embarrassing on the defensive end. Here is the best player on your biggest rival, on your home floor, who is 6'1'', and you watch as he slices to the basket and throws down a dunk on your face.

There are no Big 3's in the NBA. Fact. The Celtics have a Big 4 and the Heat have a Big 2. Facts.

Check out this Player Comparison on the season:

Chris Bosh = 14.8 points, 6 rebounds.

Taj Gibson = 15 points, 6.3 rebounds.

Love it.

-Keefe

Why the Celtics Can Win the 2011 NBA Title

When the Celtics finished 50-32 and in 4^th place in the Eastern Conference last year, no one thought they would be just minutes away from winning their 2^nd championship in 3 years. They’re too old. They won’t be able to compete with LeBron’s Cavs, Dwight’s Magic, or certainly Kobe’s Lakers. Well they broke up Cleveland, took down Orlando, and nearly beat the defending champs from LA. Here’s why they can go all the way this year.

Depth. This team, since 2007-2008 has always had the best or second best starting lineup in the NBA. Rondo-Ray-Pierce-KG-Perk have never lost a playoff series when starting together, as Doc likes to point out. But they’re second unit has never been confused with the league’s best bench mob.

Sure they have gotten great contributions from the likes of James Posey, P.J. Brown, Glen Davis, Eddie House, Rasheed Wallace, and Nate Robinson since the Big 3 has been here, but consistent great play from the subs has been elusive.

The loss of Kendrick Perkins for perhaps half the season, was an obvious concern for this team. How would they fill the void? Danny Ainge and the front office not only made sure they replaced Perk, but also the retiring Rasheed Wallace, making the decision to bring in extra pieces and not merely wait for Perk to return from knee surgery and rehab.

In addition to the now Big 4 of Rondo-Ray-Pierce-KG, the C’s have added Shaquille O’Neal, Jermaine O’Neal, and 2008 2^nd round pick, Turkish center Semih Erden to grab rebounds, bang bodies, and do the ugly stuff.

The team re-signed Glen Davis, Nate Robinson, and Marques Daniels, brought back Delonte West, brought in Von Wafer and drafted Avery Bradley and Luke Harongody. It was a busy off season for the Celtics, not one where they were just happy to win the East and play the Lakers close.

Obviously just having depth is not enough to win an NBA title. The C’s still have their star-power as well. Paul Pierce, and maybe I am a little biased here, is a Top 10 player in the league. Ray Allen is a Top 5 shooter, and Kevin Garnett can still anchor a defense and score on the majority of bigs in the league.

As for Rajon Rondo? After getting cut from the World Championship team… I mean leaving because of a sick relative… he is out to prove a point. He has always played well against the biggest name PGs in the league, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Steve Nash, Jason Kidd, etc., but now you have to add all the players who won Gold instead of him, Russell Westbrook, Chauncey Billups, Stephen Curry, and most notably Bulls PG Derrick Rose.

I expect a monster season from Rondo to go along with more of the same from the rest of the starting lineup and a much improved bench, which of course should allow KG to not have to play crazy minutes in the regular season.

The Celtics also do not possess any major weaknesses that other clubs, specifically the Heat, Magic, Thunder, and Lakers can exploit. Rebounding was an issue last season, (25^th in rebounding differential), but the additions they have made should help solve that problem.

The C’s have the depth, star-power, and experience to win the NBA title this season. They also know, despite whatever there contracts say, this might be the last chance.



-Keefe

Which Boston Pro Team Has the Best Outlook in 3-5 Years?

Everyone knows the Boston sports teams have had a lot of success since 2000. The Patriots (3 Super Bowl titles and an unbeaten season), Red Sox (2 World Series titles), Celtics (1 NBA title), and Bruins (playoffs 6/8 years and 2 division titles) have all (minus the B's) been the best in the league at least once over that span. But which team is in line to be at the top in the next 3-5 years?

Bruins-
Just became the 3rd team in NHL history to blow a series in which they had a 3-0 lead, falling to the Flyers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They would have had home ice in the Conference Finals against Montreal with a great chance of making it back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1990.

Good news: They have the #2 pick coming up in the draft. If healthy they have the best center depth (Savard, Krejci, Bergeron) in the NHL. Tuukka Rask appears to be the real deal in net.

Bad news: Ownership. A 2nd round playoff loss is fine with them as long as they are making money. Fact. Don't have a scoring wing to pair with Savard.

Celtics-
Won the title in 2008 then lost in 7 games (without Garnett) in the 2009 Conference Semifinals to the team that won the East. Right now they have a 2-0 series lead over the Magic in the Conference Finals with Game 3 this Saturday night in Boston.

Good news: They have 1 of the top 3 (Deron Williams and Chris Paul better watch out) point guards in the game and they have him for years to come at a great price. Rajon Rondo is their guy, and they need to find him some running mates for the future.

Bad news: Age. Pierce, Ray Allen, KG, Rasheed are all playing great right now, and who knows maybe even next season. But the question is 3-5 years. KG still has a couple years left on his contract as (unfortunately) so does Sheed. Ray Allen is a free agent and Pierce has a player option which he will undoubtedly pick up. Even if they resign Ray and Pierce, what's the window? Not to mention they could be looking for a new coach.

Red Sox-
Can't seem to get out of their own way thru a couple of months in 2010. The offense looks good one night but the pitching lets them down then vice verse. Victor Martinez can't catch, Mike Lowell wants out, Josh Beckett is on the DL, and Daisuke is Daisuke. The team is 3 years removed from a World Series win, and last year were swept out of the playoffs by the Angels, who never beat the Sox in October.

Good news: Starting rotation? Lester, Lackey, Beckett, Buchholz, and Matsuzaka should keep them in games throughout the season, should. Pedroia and Youkilis have long term contracts and good seasons left in them.

Bad news: No Mark Teixeira/ no power. They dealt Manny Ramirez for Jason Bay and now have Jeremy Hermida starting in LF. Ortiz has shown some power this year, but I wouldn't count on it in 3-5 months let alone 3-5 years. Jonathan Papelbon's 1 pitch is not as effective as it used to be. Theo Epstein wears disguises to Pearl Jam concerts. Also, Yankees & Rays.

Patriots-
The Pats have had a winning record in each of the past 9 seasons and at least 10 wins in 8. 2004 was the last Super Bowl, but they did go 18-0 before a ridiculous play cost them a Super Bowl win in 2007. Then the Matt Cassel year happened, and then last year where they were embarrassed by the Ravens in the playoffs.

Good news: Tom Brady has 3-5 years left in him. The drafts have been getting better, so for the "where will they be in 3-5 years question," that's a positive. Bill Belichick is still one of the best coaches in the game, it's true. It's near impossible to stay on top in the NFL, the Pats and Colts are basically the only teams that have figured it out.

Bad news: Free agent signings have not been their thing. Joey Galloway, Greg Lewis, Shawn Springs, etc., etc.

It is hard to say which team is in the best situation for the future, but it's always hard to count out the Patriots when they have Brady and Belichick working for them. Right now I would also probably put the Celtics #2 because of Rajon Rondo.

What do you think? Hit up the comment section or send an e-mail to sportsbrief@gmail.com

-Keefe