I’m not ridiculously big into sports, but if you have ever met me, you would know that I am a Boston Celtics fan.
My fandom started five years ago when the Cavs lost LeBron James and I needed a team to root for. My pal Brian was into the Big C’s, so I decided “What the hell, may as cheer for the team that beat mine in past years.”
It hasn’t been the best of times being a Celtics fan, though. With the departure of Ray Allen and season-ending injuries to both Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger, I thought the Celtics were done.
I thought wrong. They are only just heating up.
Since Rondo’s ACL injury, they are 4-0. Despite these wins coming from teams who are sub-par or plagued with injuries, they seem to be showing signs of life.
"I can feel it coming in the air tonight."
Earlier in the season, Paul Pierce was not playing to his best ability. He has never been much of a defender, so I expected him to give up some points, but when his shots started falling short and his field goal percentage began to trail off, I was scared that the Truth was getting old. I didn’t think he had it in him.
However, with the Rondo injury came a revival in the team’s captain. Doc Rivers gave the team to Rajon at the beginning of the semester, but now, Pierce is back to palming the team. With this revival in responsibility, he has taken command and has begun to heat up.
As for Kevin Garnett, there was never any doubt in my mind that he was going to continue putting up double-double numbers each night. He plays with such tenacity, pride, aggression and skill. His time is not over with.
He takes a breather midway through the first quarter and then hits the floor later to rebound and drain turnaround jumpers that I can only trust in him to shoot.
One aspect of the Celtics that goes unappreciated is their depth. The Celtics bench puts up just as many points as their starters on any given night. Jason Terry, Barbosa, Green and Lee are the fire the C’s need to keep up late in the game.
Garnett and Pierce aren’t old, but they can’t play as many minutes as they used to. Their bench is as good as any other .500 teams’ starters. This is where the Los Angeles Lakers have failed. They rely on Howard, Kobe, Gasol and Nash to do everything. As soon as one goes down, the whole team falls.
They’ve managed some success recently, but that will not last if they don’t build better chemistry and cohesion. You can’t just throw big names at a team and expect them to succeed. Look at the Celtics; they have grown together and work together, not against each other. As evident earlier in the season, the Celtics have each others’ backs. Rondo, Bradley and Garnett are feisty and will destroy anyone who attempts to undermine or cheap shot their teammates.
That pride is what will keep the C’s alive. They have heart. They have respect. They play with tenacity. Their skill level may be a bit diminished with the absence of Rondo, but they still are a solid team that should not be counted out.
They may not win it all this year, but when Sullinger matures and heals, and Rondo hits the floor once again, the league better be scared. Doc is experimenting with different lineups and I’m liking what I’m seeing. The Celtics will look different next year, but they’ll look even better.
As a Celtics fanatic, I’m excited for the future. I’m still excited for this year. I’m still excited every time they hit the floor.
Just because they’re injured, doesn’t mean they aren’t strong.
The Celtic pride is very much alive.