Boston Sports Then and Now

KG and the Celtics had a strong preseason and are ready for the opener versus the Cavs.

We all know that normally the significance of the pre-season is minimal. However, the 2009-10 preseason held many notable components for the Boston Celtics. Many questions needed to be answered for the Celtics during training camp this year. These questions were integral to the success of the Celtics this season.

During this meaningful pre-season, the Celtics answered those queries with emphatic authority. This squad proved that cohesion and chemistry will be no issue. They showed that the ego’s of their superstars and role players will take a back seat to the team’s success. Kevin Garnett (averaged 12 points, 5 rebounds per game) proved that, though he is still improving daily, he will return to regular season action as the player we remember. Marquis Daniels can fill the empty shoes of James Posey. Rajon Rondo is putting W’s over his contract and Doc Rivers continues to earn the respect and admiration of his players.

All of the above were dire elements in question as the season approached.

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The Big Ticket is back.

The media was back in Waltham. The players were in uniform, smiles on faces. They looked loose and excited to start their bid to reclaim championship glory.

At 4 pm the Celtics were scheduled to hop on a bus and head to Newport, R.I. for the start of training camp tomorrow.

So many questions were needing be answered. Lets highlight a few big subjects (in order) addressed today…

#1  -  KG’s Health

The greatest part about watching coverage of the Celtics Media Day was seeing KG, back in uniform, with a smile on his face and talking about his injury/recovery. Finally! Some comments from the man himself to put me at ease a bit.

First things first, Garnett admitted that the injury was more severe then initially thought. He told the media,

“No surprises, other then the severity of the injury”, Garnett told media. “I didn’t know it was that bad”.

Garnett was then asked to elaborate on his comment.

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The Celtics hope that Rasheed Wallace will fill the role of veteran role player the way Bill Walton did on the 1986 championship team.

By 1985, Bill Walton had already won an NBA title and Finals MVP with the Portland Trailblazers and spent the next several years fighting ankle injuries that would keep him off the court more then in uniform.

The injury plagued Walton was 33 years old and never played more than sixty seven games in an NBA season. Most NBA experts considered Bill Walton’s career to be over.

Larry Bird and Red Auerbach felt differently…

Walton had put the word out to the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics that he was available. Pitching himself as the leagues ideal 6th man, and back-up for Kareem or Parish, Walton waited to hear offers from both teams.

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Rasheed Wallace and Kevin Garnett will be wearing the same uniform next season.

It wasn’t that many years ago when the general consensus was that the eighth best team in the NBA’s Western Conference could defeat the best team in the Eastern Conference in an NBA Finals. That certainly is no longer the case.

The one-upmanship so far this off-season by the top teams in the East have made it clear that while the Los Angeles Lakers may be the champions, the Eastern Conference has a number of teams ready to make a run at the championship.

Certainly, the “big three” in the East remain the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. All three teams have made themselves better through the addition of “big name” players.

For Boston, adding Rasheed Wallace suddenly turns the “Three Amigos” into the “Fantastic Four.”

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