Celtics Preview

BC · Oct 5, 2004

[IMGl]http://espn.go.com/i/teamlogos/nba/med/trans/bos.gif[/IMGl] The Boston Celtics Season Preview
By BC

After another busy off-season by Danny Ainge, the Celtics come into this 2004-2005 season looking to improve upon last seasons disappointing 36-46 campaign. The big news of this off-season was the Gary Payton trade, and then his refusal to play for the Celtics. However, the most important thing Ainge was draft three great prospects in the draft. Although he has a bad reputation and has made some questionable moves (most notably trading Antoine Walker) Ainge has a great situation in Boston. He has a team that can compete now and build for the future at the same time.
The Celtics should be a fast tempo athletic team that will play tough defense. Ainge was criticized, especially after the Pistons won the Championship for his part in the trade that sent Rasheed Wallace to Detroit. The Celtics traded Mike James and Chris Mills for Chucky Atkins, Lindsay Hunter, and Detroit?s first round pick. At the time, it didn?t look very good, giving a rival team a player like Rasheed, but through this trade the Celtics have basically gotten the potential steal of the draft, Tony Allen, and then Gary Payton for Chucky Atkins. Ainge also added Al Jefferson and Delonte West. Jefferson is a great low post player, who did well in the summer leagues and West is a good shooter and a hard worker.

Starters

Center- Mark Blount
7-0 250 lb
Pittsburgh
2003-04 Stats- 10.3 PPG, 7.30 APG, and 1.29 BPG
Blount just signed a new contract this off-season and he needs to prove he earned it. He isn't much of and offensive force and has problems catching the ball. But, he is a good defender and offensive rebounder. Blount should be able to be the top center in the Atlantic.

Power Forward- Raef Lafrentz
6-11 245 lb
Kansas
2002-03 Stats (Injured Last year)- 9.3 PPG, 4.80 RPG, 1.32 BPG
Lafrentz was acquired along with Jiri Welsch in the Antoine Walker trade. Lafrentz is easily injured and when he plays fouls too much. But he is a great shot blocker and has a nice outside shot for a big man. He can hit jumpers from 16 feet consistently and has a decent post up game. If he can remain healthy, the Celtics won't be forced to play a rookie directly from high school or the undersized Walter McCarty.

Small Foward- Jiri Welsch
6-7 208 lb
Czech Republic
2003-04 Stats- 9.2 PPG, 1.25 SPG, .381 3P%
Welsch was the biggest surprise for the Celtics last season. He plays tough defense and is a good shooter. This position is a toss up, as Jiri will be forced to share playing time with Ricky Davis, who could start, and Tony Allen. I'm predicting Jiri will start and Davis will come off the bench because Jiri is a better shooter than Davis is, and works well with Pierce, when Pierce posts up.

Shooting Guard- Paul Pierce
6-6 230 lb
Kansas
2003-04 Stats- 23.0 PPG, 6.50 RPG, 5.1 APG
Paul Pierce is the Celtics best player and leader. If Pierce plays well the Celtics usually win. Pierce had a tough season last year and needs to bounce back this year. With a good point guard and a more stable system, Pierce should play better. Last season he was constantly doubled and pushed around, with Jiri improving and a real power forward, Pierce should return to the level of play he is capable of.

Point Guard- Gary Payton
6-4 180 lb
Oregon State
2003-04 Stats- 14.6 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.20 RPG
Although Payton struggled in the post season and especially in the finals, Payton should be able to contribute a lot with the Celtics. Payton has a chip on his shoulder and wants to prove that he can still play. Gary should work well with Pierce and Lafrentz. Gary will also be a good teacher for Marcus Banks and Delonte West.

Bench/Depth Chart
Center- Mark Blount/ Kendrick Perkins/ Raef Lafrentz
Power Forward- Raef Lafrentz/ Al Jefferson/ Walter McCarty/ Tom Gugoliata
Small Forward- Jiri Welsch/ Ricky Davis/ Tony Allen
Shooting Guard- Paul Pierce/ Ricky Davis/ Tony Allen/ Delonte West
Point Guard- Gary Payton/ Marcus Banks/ Delonte West

IR
Ernest Brown, Yogi Stewart, Justin Reed

The Celtics have a deep bench and Doc Rivers will use it. They have one of the top sixth men in the league in Ricky Davis and Rivers has a lot of younger players who are eager to play. At point guard, Rivers will have a lot of options. Banks has shown flashes of greatness and at other times, he looks lost on the court. Delonte West is a great shooter and can even play the two if necessary. I've already discussed Ricky Davis/Jiri Welsch, but the wildcard of the G/F group is Tony Allen, the rookie. Allen is supposedly a Ron Artest clone, without the angry outbursts. Allen should get about ten to fifteen minutes per game. At power forward if Lafrentz can stay healthy, the Celtics will be fine at the four, but if he gets injured or hasn't fully recovered, the Celtics will be forced to throw out Al Jefferson, who although impressive, is probably not ready to play twenty plus minutes per game. And at center look for Kendrick Perkins to get some minutes behind Blount. Perkins is another high school player, who is a great athlete and needs to get some experience.

Season Predictions
This looks to be a promising season for the Celtics. Ainge's rebuilding project is finally falling into place. Pierce will obviously need to play well if the Celtics want to do well. They should win anywhere from 44 to 39 games this season and be near the top of the Atlantic. With this weak division, the Celtics could end up with the third spot in the playoffs and possibly make the second round. They will need to play well defensively so they can push the ball up the court.