Who will be the Celtics' biggest threat in the Atlantic Division?

Who will be the Celtics' biggest threat in the Atlantic Division?

Ray Who?

During their annual Media Day at the team's practice facility, the Celtics made it clear they have moved on from their former starting two-guard Ray Allen. Of course players were going to be questioned on their thoughts on Allen's departure, but not many Celtics provided a lot of words. When asked how he could replace Allen on the roster, newly-acquired Jason Terry responded, "Who?"

Then it was Kevin Garnett's turn. Speaking for the first time since the end of last season, Garnett said he hasn't spoken with Allen. "I don't have Ray's number anymore," answered Garnett, "I'm trying not to communicate...I choose not to." Some may think of this as classic KG, or, to those outside of New England, as a foolish move that a teenage girl would do after having her heart broken by her boyfriend. Whatever you choose to believe, Garnett and the Celtics have turned the page. "I'm focused on J.T., Courtney Lee, the new guys that are here," quipped Garnett.

            Kevin Garnett hides his face (along with why he doesn't have 

Ray Allen's number anymore) during Media Day 2012

And so it begins....(unofficially)

Paul Pierce from Media Day 2011. How many more will he be apart of?

You know what today is? It's finally here, the one day all Celtics fan have been waiting for...it's Media Day! That's right, the day when the entire team gets to don their new green and white Celtics jerseys, take a multitude of pictures, and partake in numerous interviews. It's also the day where everyone talks about how they are in the best shape of their lives, how this team is special, and how excited they are to get started. For all you Celtics enthusiasts out there, this day marks the unofficial start of the new season. It's like the day Red Sox pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers for their first workout. Fun stuff, right? With the team's first preseason game exactly one week from today against the Fenerbahce Ulker team in Turkey, Celtics fans now have something to actually look forward to. The path to banner eighteen starts in a few hours at Health Point in Waltham. I'm ecstatic, aren't you?

2012-2013 Projections: Southeast Division

Charlotte Bobcats

2011-2012 Record: 7-59

Place in Division: 5th (last)

Head Coach: Mike Dunlap

Key Additions: Ramon Sessions, Ben Gordon, Brendan Haywood

Prediction: 23-59

Scoop: You know what's so ironic about this team? Their owner, the great Michael Jordan, is a six-time NBA champion, but he is struggling BIG TIME trying to assemble a winning team. Where do they even begin? First, they hired a coach who has never been a head coach until called upon this past season at St. John's. They also let one of their best players walk in D.J. Augustin, but replace him with an older Ben Gordon? I don't even know what kind of scoop to give. It's hard for me to see this team even getting to my prediction of 23 wins, but Ben Gordon might have some cold blood left in those veins for a couple big shots.

Washington Wizards

2011-2012 Record: 20-46

Place in Division: 4th

Head Coach: Randy Wittman

Key Additions: Trevor Ariza, Emeka Okafor

Prediction: 29-53

Scoop: After firing Flip Saunders and revamping their roster, the Wizards appear to be headed in the right direction. With John Wall and Nene as their core, the Wizards are trying to move forward with Randy Wittman, whose discipline and tough attitude should influence these young Wizards. The Wizards have 10 players with less than three years of experience on the roster, so let's give Wittman and his staff a clean slate as they now can finally recover from the Gilbert Arenas days.

Orlando Magic

2011-2012 Record: 37-29

Place in Division: 3rd

Head Coach: Jacque Vaughn

Key Additions: Al Harrington, Arron Afflalo

Prediction: 33-49

Scoop: You have to feel bad for Orlando. They spent most of their offseason debating whether or not to trade Dwight Howard, putting them in an awful predicament. This dragged on seemingly forever, but they could not move forward without first making a decision on Howard. Now that they've decided to blow it up, it will take a while to rebuild. Where do they even begin? Let's not look at this year, although Glen Davis, Arron Afflalo, and Jameer Nelson have some personal incentive. With an average group of individual talent, this team should win some games, but they will not be as consistent as they have been in the past.

Atlanta Hawks

2011-2012 Record: 40-26

Place in Division: 2nd

Head Coach: Larry Drew

Key Additions: Devin Harris, Kyle Korver, Lou Williams

Prediction: 42-40

Scoop: Losing Joe Johnson and Kirk Hinrich is crushing to a team that seems to be stuck in the middle, and it's been this way for a while. Are the Hawks legitimate contenders, or just an annual low-seeded playoff team? They have the talent to always sneak in, but not enough to finish higher than 4th in the East. Al Horford is the key piece to this team. There was a dramatic difference during the playoffs with and without him. Josh Smith is tremendously talented, but when is he going to take that next step? Lou Williams is a nice addition and will provide an instant spark off the bench. Can this team finally come together and challenge the powers of the East? I doubt it will be this year.

Miami Heat

2011-2012 Record: 46-20

Place in Division: 1st

Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Key Additions: Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis

Prediction: 61-21

Scoop: Is there really any doubt that the Heat will not easily win this division? Now that it seems that LeBron has finally figured it out, and with one of the best free agent additions in Ray Allen, the Heat seem primed to make another run to the Finals. The Heat applied the Kevin Garnett method and moved Chris Bosh to the center spot, making him more effective in the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals. Dwyane Wade is still Dwyane Wade. The only team that can stop the Heat (besides the Celtics or Lakers) is the Heat. If Wade isn't healthy, if LeBron goes back to being the big-headed LeBron that guaranteed not five, not six, not seven championships, and if Father Time catches up to Allen and Rashard Lewis, the Heat could run into some problems.

Who should be the Celtics starting shooting guard?

When Ray Allen decided to part ways with Boston, the Celtics had to find a way to replace and revamp their offense. After a superb job of recruiting Mr. Sixth Man himself in Jason Terry, finding a way to overcome salary cap hurdles to acquire Courtney Lee, and with the continuing emergence of Avery Bradley, Doc now has multiple options at the shooting guard position. Although we've heard the "it's not who starts the game it's who finishes it" phrase numerous times (right, Bill Belichick?), someone needs to start, and we all know that being forced to the bench was one of the main reasons for Jesus Shuttlesworth's departure. Knowing all that, I pose to you this question. And this assumes that Avery Bradley, who almost certainly will not be ready to start the season, fully recovers...Who should be the Celtics starting shooting guard?

In my opinion, the job is Courtney Lee's to lose. What has made Jason Terry so successful is his ability to provide a spark off the bench, so why mess that up? Considering Rivers mentioned that Avery Bradley will be out for a while, why not stick with Lee? Boston made great efforts to get him here and sign him to a four year deal worth $21.5 million. Lee, who turns 27 on October 3, gives the Celtics a legitimate three-point threat, as he has shot better than 40% in three of his first four seasons. Besides being a three-point weapon, Lee can flat out score. After averaging nearly 18 points a game during his college career, Lee has never averaged lower than 8.3 points per game mostly as a reserve. Along with his offense, the one thing that made Lee attractive in the eyes of Rivers was his ability to defend, something that Ray Allen simply could not do anymore. His quickness, youth, and athleticism gives the C's something they have not had at the two spot since before Allen's arrival.

Lee gives the Celtics balance on offense and defense, something that will be beneficial to the success of the team and will help preserve Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Doc's thoughts

For those of you wondering what Doc Rivers thinks about all things Celtics, Jackie MacMullan has a tremendous piece on him. As he always does, Doc gives his two-sense as to what he believes is one of his better rosters in recent memory. Check it out.

With hello comes goodbye

When one door opens, another one closes. Unfortunately, the door closed on Keyon Dooling. The veteran guard was waived by the Celtics to clear a roster spot before the start of training camp. Almost immediately after this transaction, Dooling announced his retirement. Dooling played for six teams in his twelve year career: the Bucks, Heat, Clippers, Magic, Nets, and Celtics.

Dooling was very well liked in the Celtics' locker room, leading to Brandon Bass anointing him as "Reverend Dooling" after his riveting words (Bass called it a "sermon") during half time of Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. His strong voice, leadership, and passion were all qualities that Dooling brought with him every day as he saw his playing time diminish.

President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge issued the following statement: "We'll miss Keyon's spirit and energy, both on and off the court. The whole Celtics family wishes him well as he enters the next phase of his life."

Welcome to Boston, Darko

According to CSNNE.com, the Celtics have signed free agent center Darko Milicic. The move may come as a surprise to some, but Milicic should compete with Jason Collins as the emergency big man. And as all Celtics fans now, this team was near the bottom of the league in rebounding. So any size at this point can't hurt. We'll see what this former lottery pick can do.

2012-2013 Projections: Central Division

This year's Central Division could prove to be one of the tougher divisions in the league. With Chicago and Indiana as playoff teams, Milwaukee just barely missing out on the eighth seed, and Detroit and Chicago with some nice young pieces, this could be a competitive division.
















Chicago Bulls

2011-2012 Record: 50-16

Place in Division: 1st

Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Key Additions: Kirk Hinrich, Marco Belinelli, Nazr Mohammed

Prediction: 49-33

Scoop: "If" seems to be the headline for the Bulls for this season. Chicago seems to be in a stand-still, sort of holding their breath until they are assured that Derrick Rose is healthy. If Derrick Rose returns to form, the Bulls will be just fine. They brought back Kirk Hinrich as a solid scorer off the bench, and also added size in Mohammed to make up for the loss of Omer Asik. Although there is a ton of upside, there are a lot of question marks surrounding this team. How is Joakim Noah's ankle? How will they make up for the loss of John Lucas III, C.J. Watson, and Brian Scalabrine? (kidding on the last one) Is Richard Hamilton all done? So, if  Hamilton can still play, if Noah is O.K., and most importantly, if Derrick Rose can return to his M.V.P. form, the Bulls will be one of the top three teams in the East.















Cleveland Cavaliers

2011-2012 Record: 21-45

Place in Division: 5th (last)

Head Coach: Byron Scott

Key Additions: Jeremy Pargo, C.J. Miles

Prediction: 27-55

Scoop: Although their record the past two seasons is not very impressive, believe it or not, Cleveland is headed in the right direction. After being blind-sided by...well...you should know by now, Dan Gilbert has taken the path of most resistance and started from scratch. With Kyrie Irving as the cornerstone of the franchise for what they hope to be many years to come, the Cavs have started to put pieces around him to lead this franchise from mediocrity to credibility. It will take a while, but Cleveland is headed down the right path. 

Detroit Pistons 

2011-2012 Record: 25-41

Place in Division: 4th

Head Coach: Lawrence Frank

Key Additions: Corey Maggette, Kyle Singler* (rookie)

Prediction: 26-56

Scoop: After making the mistake of keeping their core together too long, Detroit is now paying the price. Since their remarkable run from 2001-2008, the Pistons have experienced a major drop off. The Palace is not a fun place to be anymore, not matter how entertaining PA announcer John Mason's voice is. Detroit has an odd mix of veterans (Ben Wallace, Corey Maggette, Tayshaun Prince) and young players (Will Bynum, Brandon Knight, Greg Monroe). They seem to be in basketball purgatory- stuck between trying to be competitive and building for the future. Until this franchise figures out which way they want to go, look for another down year in the Motor City.

Indiana Pacers

2011-2012 Record: 42-24

Place in Division: 2nd

Head Coach: Frank Vogel

Key Additions: Sam Young, D.J. Augustin, Gerald Green, Sundiata Gaines

Prediction: 45-37

Scoop: The sky's the limit for these Indiana Pacers. The loss of Larry Bird will be undervalued, but Frank Vogel knows what he's doing. Indiana should continue to be near the top of the East, but they're gonna need Roy Hibbert and Danny Granger, the latter of whom goes MIA waaayyyyyy too much, to go to the next level if they want to be serious contenders. D.J. Augustin is a solid pickup, and with the way they feed off each other and do not have one super star, this team should be as good if not better than they were last year.

Milwaukee Bucks 

2011-2012 Record: 31-35

Place in Division: 3rd

Head Coach: Scott Skiles

Key Additions: Samuel Dalembert, Joel Pryzbilla

Prediction: 38-44

Scoop: Boy the BMO Harris Bradley Center is a depressing place, no? Anyway, what to make of these Bucks? Scott Skiles is a disciplinarian who has tried to get these guys to play solid team basketball, but that has not worked. Monta Ellis is a nice player, but is he a real All Star to build your team around? Drew Gooden is a dinosaur, Brandon Jennings is a Jekyll and Hyde type of player, and Samuel Dalembert is highly overpaid. Can they make it all work? Doubt it. Maybe the low expectations will help.

Who is the most valuable Celtic?

Since the Big Three came together, there was always a hot debate as to who was the most valuable out of the three. Many people view Doc Rivers as the most valuable Celtic. When the question of who the best coach in the game is asked, Rivers' name is always in the conversation. His ability to be blunt with his players, but also caring for them like they were his own sons make Rivers a popular head coach. With the departure of Ray Allen, and the emergence of Rajon Rondo, mainstays Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett continuing to thrive, and a head coach with a tremendous reputation, the question remains...Who is the most valuable Celtic?

What's up, Doc?

Doc Rivers joined recently retired Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan at the Action for Boston Community Development 2nd Annual Hoops Dream last week at the TD Garden. He had some interesting words, including some reflection on last season, and what he hopes for this season. Enjoy.

ATTA BOY DOC!

Its almost here...

Well, not quite, but close. For those of you dying to watch Gary and Donny, see Greg on the sidelines, or hear Mike and Tommy bicker back and forth, I'm with you. Anyway, here is this season's schedule. Gives me chills.

2012-2013 Projections: Atlantic Division

Starting today, I'll break down each division, team by team, and give my prediction as to how each team will fair. From there, I'll predict conference seedings, awards, and last but not least, who will be crowned NBA champs. Today I'll start with the Celtics' own division, the Atlantic Division...

Brooklyn Nets


2011-2012 Record: 22-44

Place in Division: 5th (last)

Head Coach: Avery Johnson

Key Additions: Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Reggie Evans

Prediction: 34-48

Scoop: Let's hope that a new name, new location, new players, and what should be new found excitement inspire these Nets to make things interesting in the Atlantic. Although they were the front runners to win the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, the Nets quickly faded from the picture. And now the Nets have extra motivation as The Big Shamrock (a.k.a. Shaquille O'Neal) was quoted as saying last week that the Knicks are the better team in New York. With a dynamic scorer in Johnson, one of the best point guards in the game in Williams, and a nice complimentary piece in Gerald Wallace to go along with big men Kris Humphries (insert Kim Kardashian joke here) and Brook Lopez, the Nets have some nice individual talent. The question is can they put it all together. They still do not have a team leader, and the closest thing they have to that is Deron Williams. Once they can start playing total team defense and find some sort of identity, the Nets will continue to be near the cellar of the Atlantic.

New York Knicks

2011-2012 Record: 36-30

Place in Division: 2nd

Head Coach: Mike Woodson

Key Additions: Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Raymond Felton

Prediction: 43-39

Scoop: To give the Knicks some credit, they did not get caught up in the Jeremy Lin hype and invest a ton of money to keep him around. If they were to do that, then they would have never been able to add Kidd and Camby. Bringing back Felton was underrated, but this was a great move. Felton is familiar with New York and did a commendable job running the show during his brief stint in the Big Apple. However, this is do or die for the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire need to find a way  to make this thing work. Tyson Chandler needs to continue to provide top-notch defense along with the ancient Marcus Camby, and Jason Kidd will provide the kind of veteran leadership that these Knicks have so desperately needed. The Knicks should be better, but will the high expectations get to these fragile Knicks? And with an improved division, can the Knicks keep up? We'll find out.

Toronto Raptors

2011-2012 Record: 23-43

Place in Division: 4th

Head Coach: Dwane Casey

Key Additions: John Lucas III, Kyle Lowry

Prediction: 28-54

Scoop: Well, they're trying, eh? Their main goal this off-season was to try and lure Canadian-born Steve Nash, but that feat was unsuccessful. The big blow to them last year was losing their leading scorer and former number one overall pick Andrea Bargnani for 35 games due to injuries. In his absence, players such as DeMar DeRozan, Jerryd Baryless, and Amir Johnson had the opportunity to showcase their skills, and they did just that. With these guys at the center piece, the Raptors have something to build with for the future. But those last two words are what Toronto should be focused on: the future. 

Philadephia 76ers

2011-2012 Record: 35-31

Place in Division: 3rd

Head Coach: Doug Collins

Key Additions: Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson, Nick Young

Prediction: 47-35

Scoop: Losing Andre Iguodala is big, but they replace him with someone just as big in Andrew Bynum. Bynum, an All Star last season, is finally starting to put it all together. Jason Richardson is a nice pickup too, as he is an athletic player who can space the floor and play good defense. This is a very young team, and last year's experience in the playoffs should really boost their confidence coming into this season. And let's not forget what a great influence Doug Collins is on these guys. If players like Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and Thaddeus Young can continue to build upon the successes of the past two seasons, watch out for the Sixers.

Boston Celtics

2011-2012 Record: 39-27

Place in Division: 1st

Head Coach: Doc Rivers

Key Additions: Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Jeff Green* (missed all of last season with heart surgery)

Prediction: 53-29

Scoop: After coming ever so close to returning to the Finals, Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers decided once again to bring the band (minus Ray Allen) back together to make another run. With Kevin Garnett sipping from the fountain of youth and regaining a new found prominence, Rajon Rondo's emergence into a super star, and Paul Pierce continuing to be The Truth, the Celtics made things interesting last season. Will this core be able to do it again? With what I believe is their deepest roster in a long time and an infusion of youth to compliment their aging veterans, the Celtics should be just as good, if not better, than what we have seen from them in the Garnett era. 


Be sure to check in soon for the rest of my predictions.

How many games will the Celtics win this year?

Its a very simple question, but it could have many different answers. If everyone remains generally healthy, this could prove to be one of the deepest teams in the Kevin Garnett era. So, with this in mind, here's a question posed to you Celtics diehards...
How many games will the Celtics win this year?

20 days until training camp!!!

It's all about 18!

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