Greener pastures

How will this season go for first-year coach
Brad Stevens?

The grass is always greener on the other side. That's how the old saying goes, and in this case, it couldn't be any more fitting. The 2013-2014 season for the Boston Celtics should not concern the here and now, but what lies ahead -- the greener grass.

These current Celtics remain an enigma. 

No one knows what exactly to expect out of first-year head coach Brad Stevens.

No one knows when Rajon Rondo will return and how he will perform once he does. 

No one knows what Danny Ainge and crew are thinking about the future of this team. I'm sure Ainge himself doesn't even know.

No one knows if this collection of players will remain intact after 3:00 on February 20. 

The list just goes on and on. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this franchise, that we can all agree on. Just ask newcomer Gerald Wallace.

“I don’t know man. I honestly don’t know,” Wallace responded when asked about his expectations for this season. “I’m looking for a surprise and hopefully it’s a good surprise."

Maybe this group will slightly resemble the 2013 Red Sox, a team that most wrote off before the season even started, and now they are 27 outs away from a eighth championship title. I'm not saying the Celtics will compete for a title. There's no chance in hell this team even sniffs anything past a first round visit if they're lucky. But maybe they'll surprise us on a smaller scale.

Perhaps we'll see Jeff Green emerge into his own. Maybe Kelly Olynyk can be a central building block going forward. Maybe the new guys from Brooklyn (Wallace, Marshon Brooks, Kris Humphries and Keith Bogans) won't be so bad after all. Maybe Stevens will adjust quickly and make Ainge look like a genius. 

If everything falls into place, maybe this team actually finds its way into the eighth and final playoff spot in a depleted Eastern Conference. Washington is an improved bunch, but is Marcin Gortat really the missing piece? Can the Pistons put ego aside and play together? 

This team is not going to tank. It's not in their DNA. If you as much utter the words "rebuild" and "tank" and you're bound to get death stares and denials from the guys who have been here like Rondo, Jared Sullinger and Avery Bradley. As corny and cliche as it sounds, Celtic pride has to come into play during this "phase" -- don't call it a rebuild, or else! -- of the franchise's history.

You can't expect this team to just wave the white flag before the season even starts. Ainge can't tell a 37-year-old head coach in his first season as an NBA head coach to purposely lose games. Thankfully, it seems that Ainge knows that.

"That's harder than people recognize," said Ainge of tanking. "It's a really easy thing to conceptualize, and an easy thing to talk about and philosophize about. But it's a hard thing to live through -- for fans, for coaches, for owners, for sponsors, for our TV partners."

How many games will they win? No one knows. I can guarantee they won't be over .500, but how far below is up for debate. This season could go in a number of different directions, but one thing is for certain is that the direction will not lead to NBA glory. It could be purgatory. It could be the lottery.

A few words of advice: soak it all in, C's fans. Enjoy the ride. Because the grass is always greener on the other side.


* The Celtics suspended Jared Sullinger for tomorrow's season opener in Toronto after his domestic violence incident in September.

* All 14 bodies were present at practice on Monday. Everyone is healthy and should be ready to go.

Sullinger case dismissed

Celtics forward Jared Sullinger's domestic violence charges were dropped Monday morning in Waltham District Court.

Sullinger, a second-year forward out of Ohio State, was charged with assault and battery in early September after allegedly pinning his girlfriend to the bed, pushing her, and smashing her cell phone when she attempted to call the police.

Sullinger and his attorney declined to comment on the case. When asked about his status for Wednesday's season opener, Sullinger responded, "Ready to play."

Rondo: "I'll know when I'm ready"

Rajon Rondo told reporters Wednesday
night that he expects to play this season.

The question that most Celtics fans are dying to know the answer to is when they can expect to see Rajon Rondo back on the court. When asked the question last night, Rondo admitted that even he is not quite sure.

After his team's 101-97 win in their preseason finale against the Brooklyn Nets, Rondo spoke to reporters regarding his status. Rondo did say that he does expect to be back at some point this season, but he does not know exactly when.

"I’ll know when it’s right," Rondo said. "Everybody is different, each injury is different... For me, when I come back, I won’t come back unless I know I’m myself again." 

Rondo said his knee is "about 87 percent," and he will not return at anything less than 100 percent.

"I’m taking it one week at a time," Rondo added. "I know it’s getting stronger each week and whenever I’m able to jump off my right leg and probably dunk, that’s when I think I’ll be back to play."

Rondo admitted that he has been fitted for a knee brace. He does not believe that participating in contact drills "will be too far from there."

 

The four-time All Star is rehabbing from a torn ACL that he injured back in January.

James, Wade call out former Celtics

It's been a while since I've written anything regarding the team this blog is meant to be about. So I figured it's about time I get back to that. Only this piece of news is not totally about the Celtics.

Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade feel two former Celtics and now Brooklyn Nets owe ex-Celtic Ray Allen an apology. Yes, they're talking about Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Lest you forget, after Allen left the Celtics and signed with the Heat, Garnett told reporters he lost Allen's number and Pierce said he hadn't forgiven Allen for his decision.

In July, Garnett waived his no-trade clause so he could go with Pierce in a mega-deal with the Nets.

So does that make Pierce and Garnett hypocrites?

"I think the first thing I thought was 'wow, Ray got killed for leaving Boston and now these guys are leaving Boston,'" James said.

"I think it's OK, I didn't mind it," James said when asked about the Nets-Celtics trade. "But there were a couple guys who basically (expletive) on Ray for leaving and now they're leaving. That's the nature of our business, man. I don't know what Boston was going through at the end of the day. I know Ray had to make the best decision for him and his family and his career. Doc, KG and Paul did that as well. You can't criticize someone who does something that's best for their family."

As for Wade, he took a less aggressive approach when asked for his opinion.

"People say things about people when they do something when they themselves would do the same thing," Wade said. "It's about putting yourself in the best situation and at the end of the day we all do that. You can't really say anything about someone that does it for themselves."

My response?

Allen was a free agent. It was solely his decision to leave. When he left, the core of Garnett, Pierce and Rondo was still intact. The Celtics still had a chance to compete, but Allen chose not to stay.

After this past season, Danny Ainge made the decision to move on and start fresh. Ainge orchestrated Pierce and Garnett's departure. This team was not in the same position it was when Allen left. They had to start over.

Let me stress this again...they were traded. They had no control over it. They didn't want to leave, as evident by their NUMEROUS comments on how they wanted to finish their careers in Boston. But with the Ainge and company moving on, KG and Pierce had no choice but to move on as well.

I'm just trying to figure out why we are even talking about this.

2013-2014 Predictions: Atlantic Division

The final installment of my division predictions is finally here. It's the Atlantic Division.

Let's not waste any more time:


Brooklyn Nets

2012-2013 Record: 49-33

Head Coach: Jason Kidd

Key Additions: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, Andrei Kirilenko

Prediction: 55-27

Scoop: I'm not overly concerned with the regular season with this Brooklyn team. Any questions of chemistry and their ability to play together will be answered with a resounding yes, and I believe that will happen very quickly. When the 2007-2008 Celtics came together, the big guns (Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen) were determined to sacrifice any personal accomplishments for the good of the team, and lo and behold they did. KG, Pierce and Terry are the only ones on that team who have won a championship, so the other guys need to follow their lead. The only problem this team might have is the inexperience of Jason Kidd as their head coach. Will his lack of coaching experience haunt them in the playoffs?


New York Knicks

2012-2013 Record: 54-28

Head Coach: Mike Woodson

Key Additions: Metta World Peace, Andrea Bargnani

Prediction: 50-32

Scoop: Yes, Carmelo Anthony took a big risk in deciding to forego surgery on a torn rotator cuff and labrum. Yes, J.R. Smith, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, is out for at least the first month of the season. Yes, A'mare Stoudemire's knees are about to fall off. With all that said, at the end of the day, the Knicks are still very good. I love their additions of Bargnani and World Peace. I like Tim Haradaway Jr. They won't shoot 38% from three-point range again, but they'll still be very good.


Boston Celtics

2012-2013 Record: 41-40

Head Coach: Brad Stevens

Key Additions: Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, Gerald Wallace, Kelly Olynyk

Prediction: 36-46

Scoop: Call me a homer all you want, but believe it or not, I am a realist. No one knows what this team will look like by the trade deadline. Rajon Rondo could be gone. Wallace could be gone. You name the player, Danny Ainge won't be afraid to pull the trigger on anyone. I'm looking at this from a best-case scenario. It appears that Jared Sullinger is healthy. Avery Bradley should be better. With the success that most athletes today have in coming from from ACL surgery, it isn't crazy to expect Rondo to be Rondo when he returns, but it will take some time. I love Olynyk. I feel Brooks and Humphries are due for big seasons. So hey, why the hell can't they be the eighth seed?


Toronto Raptors

2012-2013 Record: 34-48

Head Coach: Dwane Casey

Key Additions: Tyler Hansbrough, D.J. Augustin

Prediction: 33-49

Scoop: For some reason, a lot of experts like the Raptors. I'm not buying it. I'm sorry, but Rudy Gay is a tad overrated -- side note, does anyone else think him and Jeff Green are eerily alike as far as maximizing their talents? They do have some talented big men in Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas. They certainly have players who are more than capable of scoring, but they are still not a good defensive team.


Philadelphia 76ers

2012-2013 Record: 34-48

Head Coach: Brett Brown

Key Additions: Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams

Prediction: 23-59

Scoop: Of the 20 players the Sixers have in camp, seven of them are rookies. SEVEN. Not to mention the fact they have five guys with only one year of experience. In the NBA, inexperience equals failure.

2013-2014 Predictions: Central Division

Four divisions down, two to go. Let's tackle the Central Division.


Chicago Bulls

2012-2013 Record: 45-37

Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau

Key Additions: Mike Dunleavy, Derrick Rose*

Prediction: 51-31

Scoop: Plain and simple with this team: the savior has returned. With Rose's return, the Bulls will benefit in more ways than one. They gain an MVP-caliber player in Rose, and this allows everyone to fall back into place. Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng will have a lighter workload, which should make them better. Jimmy Butler will continue to improve. This team nearly made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season without Rose. So with essentially the same team surrounding him, why wouldn't the Bulls be better?


Indiana Pacers

2012-2013 Record: 49-32

Head Coach: Frank Vogel

Key Additions: Chris Copeland, Luis Scola

Prediction: 49-33

Scoop: The Pacers are eerily similar to the Bulls. They should be better as they too have an All-Star returning in Danny Granger. They already had a great team, and they made it to the conference finals last season. Their team is still intact. Like the Bulls, they have an outstanding, defensive-minded coach. It's going to be fun watching Indy and Chicago battle each other in the Central.


Cleveland Cavaliers

2012-2013 Record: 24-58

Head Coach: Mike Brown

Key Additions: Andrew Bynum, Earl Clark, Anthony Bennett, Jarrett Jack

Prediction: 38-44

Scoop: I like this Cleveland team. I loved their offseason additions. I like their young core. I like the re-hiring of Mike Brown. The key question with them is obviously health. Can Bynum stay healthy? Can Irving stay healthy? Will Varejao be healthy? These three players will need to be if this team is to make a serious run at making the playoffs.


Detroit Pistons

2012-2013 Record: 29-53

Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks

Key Additions: Chauncey Billups, Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings

Prediction: 35-47

Scoop: Yes, this team is talented. Their starting five of Smith, Jennings, Billups, Monroe and Drummond should be among the more productive starting units in all of basketball. The big question is chemistry. Smith and Jennings are talented, but primadonnas. They need to sacrifice stats for the betterment of the team.


Milwaukee Bucks

2012-2013 Record: 38-44

Head Coach: Larry Drew

Key Additions: Caron Butler, O.J. Mayo, Brandon Knight

Prediction: 29-53

Scoop: At first, I figured the Bucks would be right around where they were last season. Then I looked at their roster again. They lost their two best players (Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings). Yes, they added O.J. Mayo, but how will handle the pressure of being "the man"? The Caron Butler signing would have been a good one about five years ago. Like with the Celtics, you cannot lose your two best players and expect to be good.

2013-2014 Predictions: Southeast Division

Part two of my predictions doubleheader: the Southeast Division.


Miami Heat

2012-2013 Record: 66-16

Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Key Additions: Michael Beasley, Greg Oden

Prediction: 61-21

Scoop: They brought back their entire team (with the exception of Mike Miller,  and added to it. How can they not be the favorites? Yes, their bench weapons are a bit older -- Ray Allen is 38, Shane Battier is 35 and Chris "Birdman" Andersen is 35. Yes, Dwyane Wade has a balky knee, and he too will turn 32 during the season. And sure, they'll have a tougher road with an improved Brooklyn team. They still have to deal with the Knicks, Pacers and now the Bulls with a healthy Derrick Rose. But, as I have said for three years now, this is LeBron's world, and we are all living in it until he tells us otherwise.

Atlanta Hawks

2012-2013 Record: 44-38

Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer

Key Additions: Paul Millsap, Elton Brand

Prediction: 44-38

Scoop: I like their additions of Brand and Millsap. Lou Williams was very good for them last season before going down with a torn ACL. With Williams back, Al Horford, Jeff Teague and Millsap, the Hawks should be right about where they were last year, which is why I predict them to have the same record this year.

Washington Wizards:

2012-2013 Record: 29-53

Head Coach: Randy Wittman

Key Additions: Otto Porter Jr.

Prediction: 35-47

Scoop: Many national media experts like this Washington team. The John Wall-Bradley Beal duo never got a real chance to show what it could do. In the few games the two played together, the Wizards went 16-9. As he showed at the end of last season, Randy Wittman is not taking any $#___ (you can figure that out for yourselves). This is a very talented yet young group of players. Let's see what they can do.

Orlando Magic:

2012-2013 Record: 20-62

Head Coach: Jacque Vaughn

Key Additions: Jason Maxiell, Victor Oladipo

Prediction: 25-57

Scoop: Of the 15 players on their roster, Orlando only has four players who are 30 or older. To say they are inexperienced is an understatement. The NBA is a veterans' league. It always has been, and always will be. They still have some leftovers from their glory days (i.e. Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu), but for the most part, this team is rebuilding. They will appear to do so around Oladipo, Arron Afflalo and Tobias Harris. Something scary to point out: Glen Davis looked upon as a veteran leader on this team. Yikes.


Charlotte Bobcats:

2012-2013 Record: 21-61

Head Coach: Steve Clifford

Key Additions: Al Jefferson, Cody Zeller

Prediction: 23-59

Scoop: At some point, don't you have to feel bad for the Bobcats? They're being led in the wrong direction by Michael Jordan -- think about that, who would ever think that anyone would ever say anything negative about him? Until they shake things up in the front office, this Bobcats team will remain in neutral.